INTERMEDIATE CHESS FOR KIDS/ADULTS

Course Title: “Intermediate Chess – Building a Foundation for Progress“

This is an 8-session, in-person chess class, taught by experienced ACC Instructor, National Master (NM) David Filipovich, in which students learn various intermediate concepts and principles of chess. Kids intermediate classes are an hour in length and begin at 5:00 PM most Mondays. Adult intermediate classes are 1.5 hrs. in length. and begin at 6:00 PM most Mondays. Classes may be purchased on an à-la-carte basis.

A. Intermediate Chess – General Considerations

An ELO rating of an 800 to 1200 CFC ELO rating is generally the sweet spot for this course. However, the depth of the content for this course may be adjusted upwards or downwards to fit the average level of the students attending.

One set of Intermediate classes is for kids under the age of 14. Another set is for adults (which includes youth aged 14+).

For kids, ACC’s Intermediate classes are for those juniors who are already comfortable with all the piece movements, and can finish a game to checkmate.

For adults, ACC’s Intermediate classes are for those students who are already comfortable with some basic principles of openings, middlegames and endings, and are ready for more in-depth study.

In both cases, frameworks for tactical and strategic thinking are introduced. Students will continue to develop general principles and concepts for each phase of the game. There is a focus upon openings for White. Practical considerations for competitive play are woven throughout the course. Students are taught the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving. Tactics and puzzles are especially important.

Most classes will allocate approximately half the time for play, supervised and with feedback from the Instructor. This is a great course to take in conjunction with playing in weekly rated tournaments whether at ACC or at another chess club, as the student gets to apply their knowledge in a competitive setting. Students quickly learn to analyze their games after completion, which reinforces the learning process.

B. Topics Covered in Intermediate Chess

Here are the eight individual weekly lessons that apply to Intermediate Chess for Kids/Adults.

• Lesson 1: Tactical Chess – getting the biggest bang for your buck
• Lesson 2: Positional Chess – the elements of chess
• Lesson 3: Opening Principles
• Lesson 4: The Initiative
• Lesson 5: Middlegame Considerations I
• Lesson 6: Middlegame Considerations II
• Lesson 7: Endgame Theory
• Lesson 8: Endgame Technique

Intermediate chess is the smorgasbord of chess instruction, as students are exposed to a lot of different topics.

About Our Other Courses

• Beginner In-person Chess for Kids/Adults
• Advanced In-person Chess for Kids/Adults