Chess has numerous educational advantages

Good evening everyone.

To connect to the previous post, I would like to continue to publish some articles stating what educational advantages chess have.
The following I got from Mr Johan Alberts.  He is our District North Tournaments organiser, but he does so much more than just that for Chess in the Western Province.

Chess as a Community Activity Program in Fighting Crime ~ JJ Alberts
The ultimate objective of chess is to put your opponent in checkmate.  However, it is not about checkmate only.  Research shows that chess plays a critical role in improving academic ability (as a pedagogical tool it has numrous educational advantages) and develops various life skills and values, such as:

• better judgement
• character building
• confidence
• courage
• critical and logical thinking
• decision making
• improved concentration
• improved school attendance
• patience
• perserverance
• positive behaviour
• problem solving
• response (choice) and consequences
• respect and responsibility
• self-discipline
• self-confidence
• toughness

Learners, ...
... you are not pawns with the least value, but see yourself as pawns with inherent value to move forward in life and promote from pawns to powefull "Queens, Rooks, Bishops or Knights", i.e. becoming someone of VALUE! To be someone!

... keep your THINKING straight and focused, set GOALS and use your TIME well and wisely.  Study, play sport, become involved in the community and be a pawn in the was against crime!

... THINK ahead before you make a move in life (as on the chess board) - every move counts!  Think possibilities and outcomes. Understand that for every move you make on the chess board or CHOICE you make in life - there is CONSEQUENCES!

... there are positive ALTERNATIVES to conflict, crime, drugs, alcohol, violence and gangs.  Take the 'cri' (CRY) out of crime and you have 'ME': I must change my life (my thinking)!

... cherish, respect and protect our WOMEN (the "Queens"), bacause their powerfull presence and importance on the chess board are as powefull and important in life!  Learn to RESPECT yourselves and others.

...know that I am proud of you!

:-)

10 Big Brain Beniefits of Playing Chess

Good afternoon everyone!

The following I got on a website named africanchesslounge.  They got it from onlinecollegecources.

Click on the links above to go to those two websites.

Just from my side: good luck to all the learners writing exams next week.  Remember to play a game of chess in between the studies - it may just help you!

:-)

Not for nothing is chess known as “the game of kings.” No doubt the rulers of empires and kingdoms saw in the game fitting practice for the strategizing and forecasting they themselves were required to do when dealing with other monarchs and challengers. As we learn more about the brain, some are beginning to push for chess to be reintroduced as a tool in the public’seducation. With benefits like these, they have a strong case.

1. It can raise your IQ

   Chess has always had an image problem, being seen as a game for brainiacs and people with already high IQs. So there has been a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation: do smart people gravitate towards chess, or does playing chess make them smart? At least one study has shown that moving those knights and rooks around can in fact raise a person’s intelligence quotient. A study of 4,000 Venezuelan students produced significant rises in the IQ scores of both boys and girls after 4 months of chess instruction.

2. It helps prevent Alzheimer’s

   Because the brain works like a muscle, it needs exercise like any bicep or quad to be healthy and ward off injury. A recent study featured in The New England Journal of Medicine found that people over 75 who engage in brain-stretching activities like chess are less likely to develop dementia than their non-board-game-playing peers. Just like an un-exercised muscle loses strength, Dr. Robert Freidland, the study’s author, found that unused brain tissue leads to a loss of brain power. So that’s all the more reason to play chess before you turn 75.

3. It exercises both sides of the brain

   In a German study, researchers showed chess experts and novices simple geometric shapes and chess positions and measured the subjects’ reactions in identifying them. They expected to find the experts’ left brains being much more active, but they did not expect the right hemisphere of the brain to do so as well. Their reaction times to the simple shapes were the same, but the experts were using both sides of their brains to more quickly respond to the chess position questions.

4. It increases your creativity

   Since the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for creativity, it should come as no surprise that activating the right side of your brain helps develop your creative side. Specifically, chess greatly increases originality. One four-year study had students from grades 7 to 9 play chess, use computers, or do other activities once a week for 32 weeks to see which activity fostered the most growth in creative thinking. The chess group scored higher in all measures of creativity, with originality being their biggest area of gain.

5. It improves your memory

   Chess players know — as an anecdote — that playing chess improves your memory. Being a good player means remembering how your opponent has operated in the past and recalling moves that have helped you win before. But there’s hard evidence also. In a two-year study in 1985, young students who were given regular opportunities to play chess improved their grades in all subjects, and their teachers noticed better memory and better organizational skills in the kids. A similar study of Pennsylvaniasixth-graders found similar results. Students who had never before played chess improved their memories and verbal skills after playing.

6. It increases problem-solving skills

   A chess match is like one big puzzle that needs solving, and solving on the fly, because your opponent is constantly changing the parameters. Nearly 450 fifth-grade students were split into three groups in a 1992 study in New Brunswick. Group A was the control group and went through the traditional math curriculum. Group B supplemented the math with chess instruction after first grade, and Group C began the chess in first grade. On a standardized test, Group C’s grades went up to 81.2% from 62% and outpaced Group A by 21.46%.

7. It improves reading skills

   In an oft-cited 1991 study, Dr. Stuart Margulies studied the reading performance of 53 elementary school students who participated in a chess program and evaluated them compared to non-chess-playing students in the district and around the country. He found definitive results that playing chess caused increased performance in reading. In a district where the average students tested below the national average, kids from the district who played the game tested above it.

8. It improves concentration

   Chess masters might come off like scattered nutty professors, but the truth is their antics during games are usually the result of intense concentration that the game demands and improves in its players. Looking away or thinking about something else for even a moment can result in the loss of a match, as an opponent is not required to tell you how he moved if you didn’t pay attention. Numerous studies of students in the U.S., Russia, China, and elsewhere have proven time and again that young people’s ability to focus is sharpened with chess.

9. It grows dendrites

   Dendrites are the tree-like branches that conduct signals from other neural cells into the neurons they are attached to. Think of them like antennas picking up signals from other brain cells. The more antennas you have and the bigger they are, the more signals you’ll pick up. Learning a new skill like chess-playing causes dendrites to grow. But that growth doesn’t stop once you’ve learned the game; interaction with people in challenging activities also fuels dendrite growth, and chess is a perfect example.

10. It teaches planning and foresight

    Having teenagers play chess might just save their lives. It goes like this: one of the last parts of the brain to develop is the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for planning, judgment, and self-control. So adolescents are scientifically immature until this part develops. Strategy games like chess can promote prefrontal cortex development and help them make better decisions in all areas of life, perhaps keeping them from making a stupid, risky choice of the kind associated with being a teenager.

Chess puzzles from the tournament

Here are two chess puzzles that originating from the Friendly tournament IV
Checkmate in one for both puzzles:

Black to move

White to move

Description: 

White pieces: Rook on A3, K on c3, Knight on g2

Black: King on c1

Friendly Tournament IV

Good morning everyone.

Yesterday, the first of November, we played our last friendly tournament for the year.

We had two sections, one for the juniors (10 years or younger) and the other for the seniors.  22 players participated overall, with the juniors playing 3 rounds with 8 players and the seniors playing 4 rounds.

The results were as follows:
First place:  JJ Oosthuizen 4.0 / 4  Defending his titile for the 3rd time in a row!
Second place: Alex McKenzie 3.0 / 4
Third place: Trevor Rademeyer 3.0 / 4
Fourth place: Ndinani Sibelekwana 3.0 / 4
The 2nd, 3rd and 4th places separated by the tie-break system.

Click on the image to enlarge

First place for the Juniors: Kiara Blows 3.0 / 3 Congratulations Kiara!
Second place: Raquel Pironet 2.0 / 3
Third place: Amberleigh Kritzinger 2.0 / 3
4th: Grace Fyfe
5th: Nikita Panduva
6th: Caitlyn Maddan
7th: Marius van Schalkwyk
8th: Aiden October

The photos that I took can be viewed by clicking on the "photos tab" on top.

Due to the exams starting not this Monday, but the next weeks Monday, we are not going to have chess practise this coming week.

Have a wonderful day!

:-)

WP Tournament Mackie Memorial Brouchure

RE: Mackie Memorial & St Joseph's Open 2013 – Register by Wed 2 Oct 2013

Find attached the link to the mentioned brochure. 

(I hope this link works.)

Click here to get the attachment.  Register for Dropbox by clicking here. By doing so, it will be much easier to share tournament photos, newsletters, brochures etc.

If the above link is to complicated, I'm sure the next one will work fine.  Click here to download the pdf brochure from the chesswesternprovince website.

:-)

WP Tournament taking place 5 October 2013

RE: Mackie Memorial & St Joseph's Open 2013 – Register by Wed 2 Oct 2013

Goeie dag almal

Ek het vanoggend hierdie epos in my inbox gekry.  Indien julle belangstel om te gaan laat my so gou moontlik weet dan reël ons dit!

For our English / International blog readers, the above message in Afrikaans is designated for the learners in my school.  Inviting them to go to the below mentioned tournament.

More posts and info to follow soon!  I will include a link to the mentioned brochure in a few seconds.

Sien julle more by skaak oefening, direk na skool in die kunsklas.

:-)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chess WP Chess WP <chesswpinfo3@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Sep 29, 2013 at 2:16 PM
Subject: Mackie Memorial & St Joseph's Open 2013 – Register by Wed 2 Oct 2013
To: Chess WP <ChessWpInfo@gmail.com>

	Mackie Memorial and St Joseph's Open 2013
	Enter and pay online by clicking here or going to: http://chesswesternprovince.co.za/event-registration/ Venue: Claremont Chess Club and St Joseph's Marist College Prizes: Over R10,000 Guaranteed and Trophies and medals   Tuck shop available Please bring clocks and notation   • Prestige Section (R200): No entries below 1700 – Fri 4 Oct to Mon 7 Oct 2013 • A Section (R100): Between 1300 – 1699 rating – Fri 4 Oct to Sun 6 Oct 2013 • B Section (R100): Below 1300 rating – Fri 4 Oct to Sun 6 Oct 2013 • Development Section (R50): intended for beginners or U/8s and U/10s.   Enter and pay online at: http://chesswesternprovince.co.za/event-registration/   Alternatively, if you cannot enter online,  send your payment and information to: • Banking details: FNB, JS Davies – Account Number: 62279340922 – Branch Code: 201509 • Please e-mail proof of payment to stanleigh.davies@gmail.com before close of registration. (Cell): 071 440 8001   See Attached Brochure for Further Information.  Stanleigh Davies Claremont Chess Club
	If you wish to subscribe to this emailing list, click here or go to http://tinyurl.com/ChessWpSubscribe. If you wish to unsubscribe from this emailing list, click 'reply' with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

Friendly tournament III

Good evening everyone!

I haven't forgotten about the tournaments' results report that I must still put on the blog.  From Friday afternoon until Sunday, my wife and I, worked in (and painted) one of our rooms in our house. Things just went a bit hectic and I didn't have time to do any blogging. Mondays, is to much of a rush in this household to get to blogging.  So, apologies for this being so late.

At least I can say, I did update the latest news 'column', at the top of the blog.   :-)

Friday afternoon went very smoothly.  The four teams participating enjoyed the new format so much and we finished at 15:15 - a whole hour ahead of schedule.  After the winners was announced, I asked who can play another three rounds - individual swiss tournament.  (Our actual Friendly III tournament!)  14 players stayed, and we played another 3 rounds, making it a total of 6 games for some of the boys - a record number for a Friday afternoon!

The teams tournament, was won by the grade 7 boys team consisting of Liam, Enrico, Joshua, Keegan and Jacques - winning all three their matches.

In second place, was the grade 6 boys team, consisting of Craig, Ndinani, Chad, Tyler and Matthew.  They only lost in the first round 2 - 3, against the eventual winners.

In third place, was the (grade) two to sixers, consisting of JJ, Kian, Alex, Kiara and Samual (standing in for Allan)

In last place, we had the 3E's team - initially consisting of only grade 3E learners.  Unfortunately, some of them couldn't make it and others had to leave early.  Luckily Trevor and Mickyla could stand in and strengthen the team somewhat.  In the second round, Wouter stood in for Caitlyn who had to leave early.

The friendly tournament after the teams tournament, was eventually won by JJ Oosthuizen.  He defended his previous two titles - thus winning 3 tournaments in a row!  Congratulations.

Just to spoil you blog readers, I'm going to include two puzzles at the bottom of this post, enjoy!

Keep well

:-)

Scheduled Friendly Tournament

Good evening parents and blog followers!

I hope you have been well.  It is very cold and wet in Cape Town at the moment, so keep warm and cosy and don't get sick this close to the end of the term!

With regard to the Friendly Tournament scheduled for tomorrow - when I set out the date, I didn't know about our school's spring fate, games day that was going to take place.  After consulting with Mrs. Geldenhuys and other colleges AND our chess players during this afternoons' chess practise, it was decided to postpone the tournament to next week and Friday.

This gives us more time to get more teams and to get the word out a bit more, and maybe get some old faces in close by high schools to join us!

If there are some of you high school boys and girls reading this, please comment or send me a message and let me know.

Keep well, keep warm!

:-)

Friday Puzzle

Good morning everyone!

Today's league results vs Totius will be updated on the blog probably later today, otherwise over the weekend.  So look forward to that!

But first, Friday's puzzle:

White is first sacrificing a big valued piece to get the King to where he wants it to be, then he goes in for the 'kill' / checkmate.

Enjoy.
:-)

5000 posts!!

Hello everyone!

I just want to share the following with you.  Today we had our 5000th visit on the blog!

In exactly 16 months, from the 22 April 2012 that I started, we have had an average of more than 310 hits per month.  Some months more and less than others.

Thank you for everyone's support.

Will you please do me a favour, if you were one of the 5000 hits.  On the right, just below the total page views number (like above), there is a short form to fill in - just give me your name and where you are from (town / city and country), and any comments (not compulsory).

Thank you!

:-)

Thursday Puzzle

Morning everyone!

1 day to go till our last league game for the year - at home versus Totius.
Enjoy this puzzles - find checkmate in 3 moves.

Enjoy
:-)

Match vs Totius Primary

Good evening everyone.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but someone has to do it.

Unfortunately, the match against Totius this Friday has to be cancelled.  I spoke to their chess organiser this afternoon, and she told me that they only have an under 9 team for Friday.  Which we don't have.

Then, because I'm not feeling well (not at school on Wednesday), and the doctor booking me off for Thursday as well, there will be no chess practise tomorrow afternoon (Thursday, 22/8/2013).

Enjoy the rest of the week with some chess puzzles coming your way each day, all the way to the weekend and beyond.

Regards,

:-)

White just lost its Queen but is not worried? Why?

Black's Bishop just ate White's Queen, (1).... Bxe1) but White is not worried!?

What can White do?  2) .........?

Wednesday Puzzle

Middle of the week puzzle.

I hope your week is going great so far.
Enjoy
:-)

Tuesday puzzle

Monday puzzle

Morning everyone!

There is a very nice puzzle to start of the week.

Weekend puzzles

A few puzzles for you to enjoy this weekend.

Just a note: below this post, I have blogged about this months league results - have a look at how our team is going this term.

In the first puzzle, black is far ahead on points, with a Queen, but in this one, he missed his mark, and it was white to capitalise and win the game with the piece that has the least value. :-)

In the second puzzle (here below), white wins in two moves.

Latest results vs Kenrige vs Panorama vs Labiance

Good morning everyone.

The last couple of weeks has been hectic at school, with the Eistedfodd taking place at our school and the Conquesta Olympaids that I'm administrating.  Thus sorry for not posting almost anything this month.

This month we have played 3 league games and this post is dedicated to those results.

On the 2nd of August we played a match against Kenridge.
The results were as follows:
The under 13 team won 4 - 2, and the under 11 team won 3,5 - 2,5.
The individual results are not with me at this time, but in the chess file in my class.  I will edit this post and put them in here when I have a chance.

Then, after no games the following week due to the long weekend, we played two league matches yesterday, the 16th of August.  We missed our games against Panorama the week before Kendrige, so we organised that we play two matches at their school vs them and Labiance.

First up, we played against Panorama and the results were as follows:
The under 13 team lost 1 - 5, but our under 11 team won 4,5 - 1,5!

Next, we played against Labiance, who unfortunately only had an under 13 team.
And I'm proud to say that we won that match 5 - 1!

Out of everyone who played yesterday, everyone won at least 1 game in the day!
Congratulations boys (and Kiara), I'm very proud of you.

Next mission: Playing at home vs Totius, on Friday.

Don't forget to bring in your and your teams' entries for the teams tournament the next week.

:-)

Find checkmate in 2 moves

Friday morning

This is a very interesting puzzles - one that everyone can learn from!
Enjoy.

:-)

Long weekend puzzles

Good morning everyone.

Tomorrow, the 9th of August, it is Woman's Day in South Africa - a public holiday, which makes it a nice long weekend for teachers and learners.

Thus, I'm going to post a puzzle today, (underneath), and a couple on Friday via scheduled posts.  If you like them, let me know, comment what you think the correct answers are.

Enjoy the long weekend, learners and come and tell me you solved the puzzle online on Tuesday.  Bringing me to my last point: There will be no chess practice today (this afternoon), due to the long weekend!

Be safe!

:-)

Newsletter 5/2013

Letter 5/2013                                                                                                         August 2013

Dear Parents and players

The 3^rd term has started; it feels like, with the speed of sound!  So many things are taking place in a very short period of time, and I hope you are still with us.  The players have been practising the last couple of weeks, and some interesting results have been given in.  Remember players, if you don’t come to practises, you won’t be eligible for selection for the teams playing each Friday.

The game that should have been played last Friday, was unfortunately cancelled due to misunderstandings on my and the other schools part.  I do apologise for the inconvenience caused due to this.  This game has been cancelled, and won’t take place.  Not to worry though, we still have three more league games, and a special tournament left for this term.

I have some new news regarding this Panorama match that we missed.  It might just take place after all.  More on this and some other exciting news, soon.

Fixtures for the third term

League games – Friday afternoons

2 August 2013 - Away game vs Kenridge
16 August 2013 - Away game vs Labiance
23 August 2013 - Home game vs Totius

Tournament on 30 August 2013

This will be a tournament like we haven’t seen or had at Aristea Primary.  We are going to play in teams!  It will work as follows:

• Players make their own teams of 5 players per team.
• Teams consist of the same grade players only.  In the end we are going to see which grade wins.
• Players that don’t find a team to play with will play together in a team, regardless of the grade (the last team only).
• Players decide on a name – preferably a colour or something similar so that you can be identified – and the order in which the players are going to play.
• Entry fee is R10 per person – or if you get a sponsor for the team – R50 per team.        

Parents, please fill in the consent form that players must return with the entry fee.

Players, please return the team sheet, one per team. Please include a team name, and the order of the players. Player one is the best in the team.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Parent’s consent form:  This form must be given in by each player.

Information:

Tournament date: Friday, 30 August 2013

Time: The matches will start directly after school and after everything has been set up, at 13:45.  All the rounds will be finished by approx. 17:00.

Entry fee: R10 per player

I, _______________________ give permission for _________________________ (Name

and surname of learner), to participate in the Teams tournament on Friday, 30 August 2013.

I will make sure that the entry fee will be paid on or before the 28^th of August 2013. 

Cell phone number: __________________       Signature: _______________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cut between these lines

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Team sheet: Only one per team must be given in.

Team name: ______________________________________________

Player position	Name and surname	Grade
1
2
3
4
5

Team manager / captain: _______________________

He or she will be responsible for checking the results and organising the team.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

General: Practices and Puzzles

Our practices will remain on Tuesdays and Thursdays, directly after school (14:35) until 15:30, but while the Eistedfodd is taking place, in Mrs Suzanne Grobler’s classroom.

Kind regards

Mr. Bekker

:-)

Thursday's puzzles

Thursday's puzzles.  1 day to go before match day vs Kenridge.
:-)

White to move - checkmate in 1 move

White to move - checkmate in 1 move

Wednesday's puzzles

Hopefully you are enjoying this weeks puzzles!?
Enjoy.
:-)

White to move - checkmate in one move 

White to move - checkmate in one move 

Tuesday's Puzzles

Tuesday's puzzles
:-)

White to move - checkmate in one move

White to move - checkmate in one move

Puzzles for the 3rd week - Monday

More puzzles to follow this week.
Enjoy!
:-)

League game vs Panorama 26 July

Hello everyone.

Just a short post with regards to the league match last Friday.

Unfortunately the game didn't take place.  Due to misunderstandings on both schools part, we first decided to postpone the match.  After I spoke to Panoramas Chess teacher, she agreed that we would rather cancel the match.  The decision was taken because both of us have busy weeks ahead of us.

I do apologise for any inconvenience that this misunderstanding caused.

Not to worry as we have a lot of chess lined up for the rest of the term.  Three league games to come and a tournament like we haven't seen or played at Aristea.  Look forward to the letter going out to parents and players this coming Tuesday, for more information.

Hope you have a blessed and peaceful weekend!

:-)

DSK Chess Open Results

Good morning everyone!

Well, due to network and battery problems, I unfortunately couldn't keep you live up to date with the boys' progress yesterday during the tournament.  Luckily I have some good news to report:

{ For some more photos, have a look at the photos tab. }

Our boys did very well!  The individual results are as follows.

JJ Oosthuizen, lost only one game, drew one and won 4, giving him a score of 4,5 / 6.
Craig Strydom and Trevor Rademeyer scored 4 / 6.
Alton Nel, 3 / 6 and
Xander West 2 / 6.

Congratulations boys! You really did me proud yesterday.

Live from the DSK Open

Good morning everyone.

Here are the five boys before the first round. I will try to keep you up to date with their progress.

The boys are:

JJ Oosthuizen (sitting)

From left to right:

Xander West

Trevor Rademeyer

Craig Strydom

Alton Nel

:-)

Holiday puzzles VII

Good morning!

Three more puzzles this morning, like yesterday - the last one is to find checkmate in 3 moves.
Remember the hints at the bottom of the page if you struggle to get the correct move.  For more information on that, just click here to go to that post.

Enjoy!

:-)

Holiday Puzzles VI

Good morning everyone!

For today, I added and extra puzzle: Find checkmate in 3 moves.
Enjoy!

:-)

Holiday Puzzles V

Good day everyone.

I have been 'under the weather', not feeling well this last week, thus the reason why I'm so quite lately.  Today is the first day in a week, that I've been feeling better, so more posts, more regularly will follow!

Two more puzzles for the holiday.

Enjoy! :-)

Holiday puzzles IV

Hello everyone!

Two more puzzles for the holiday, enjoy!
Today, find checkmate in two moves is first.

Holiday puzzles III

Good day everyone!

Today I again have two very nice puzzles.  And an explanation to what I meant in the previous puzzles post (II), when I talked about the hint at the bottom of the screen.

Let's do that first so that we can get to the puzzles thereafter.  I made a screenshot directly from the previous post.  Click on the 'picture' to enlarge it.

Then, the first puzzle:

The next puzzle is a very interesting one again, checkmate with a pawn, but with a twist!

Enjoy!

:-)

Holiday puzzles II

I've got two very different puzzles:

Checkmate in one move for white - quick and easy.

Then a very interesting one:
White has a Queen, 2 x Rooks, 2 x Bishops, a Knight and 2 more Pawns while Black has a Rook, 2 x Bishops and 2 x Knights.

Black to move and checkmate in two moves:

Remember, the first move that black makes, must put white in check, the king moves away, then black puts white in checkmate with his 'second' move.

If you are struggling, I have included a hint in the file name.  Hover your mouse over the puzzle and you will see the file name at the bottom on the screen right hand side.

I would appreciate any comments to this puzzle.

Enjoy!

:-)