ChessNuts Classroom
A Note to the Coach


Coach, Mentor, Tutor, Teacher... Whatever you want to call it you've been asked to become the guide in a chess player's journey to improvement. Don't know what to do? Don't know where to start? Don't even know if you are "qualified" to be a Mentor? Use the ChessNuts Classroom project to formulate a plan and add structure to your student's learning experience.

You Can Do This! I think a Mentor's skill level only has to be about two ChessNuts Classroom levels ahead of the student's level. In other words, you don't have to be a Master in order to be a good coach (unless your students are chess Experts). Determine what Classroom level your student is in, and determine what Classroom level you fall into. If you are at least two levels ahead of your student, the material in the student's level will be easy for you to understand and demonstrate. If you have not already done so, become familiar with the Training Goals, Tools, and Projects for your student's Classroom level. Go through the book(s) for that level with your student when possible. Play over some of their assigned Master games with them using a chessboard, taking the time to review the annotations and play through variations given in the book.

If you are the coach in a Scholastic chess program, use the Classroom project to determine what books and tools are appropriate for the chess players in your program, and recommend that the school purchase the correct resources for your students if they have the budget to do so.

Warning! As your students improve, you will also need to improve in order to stay two Classroom levels ahead of them! This will make your job as Mentor that much easier, when your students get to a level that you have successfully completed and you can guide them through the lessons and projects with confidence.

The Mentor / Coach aspect of this Classroom Project is a key element to it's success! Developing a chess community where everyone helps others to improve adds to the enjoyment for all involved, and makes attracting new chess players that much easier!

Remember what it feels like to be 'the new guy', and also how great it feels when an experienced player is willing to spend the time to help you. Someday you will be the experienced player and a 'new guy' will ask you the same favor. Help him the best that you can, and keep the fellowship of the game alive.  You too can be a ChessNut.