13th Annual Texas Grade Championships

This weekend, Noverber 21- 22, 2009, the big chess event happen
in Houston, Texas. It was the 13th Annual Texas Grade
Championships. The chess tournament was held at the
George R. Brown Convention Center next to the Hilton Americans.
The chess players came from all over Texas and the Royal Knights
were there to win and bring home the Trophy.
Three of my students came back home with a Trophy.
In the Texas Kindergarten division Dante Guillen took 5th place.
In the Texas 1st Grade division Nathaniel Morales took 2nd place.
In the Texas 5th Grade division Victoria Mortera took 9th place.
Only 10 trophies were awarded in each division. I am so proud
of you.....mighty Royal Knights. You are Winners and Leaders

CHESS Friday November 27

A  After  Thankgiving  Day  Chess  Workshop:
Here's your chance to play against other chess players
and practice your skills in a tournament setting.
6 hours of pure chess and PIZZA for lunch!!!
A Royal Knights chess tournament and chess workshop
"Top Boards"  and   "candidate top boards"  only
cost: $45 per student $25 per additional family memeber
time:  9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
food: bring your own snacks but lunch is on me ( PIZZA )
drop-off: early if needed--call before to set time
pick-up: if later ---call before to set time

Winners always NOTATE !!!

One of the best ways to become a better chess player is to subject
your own games to intensive analysis. Studying your games helps
the learning process, thereby becoming the best way to chess mastery.  Always notate your chess matches.
This is a very important part of your chess training program.
You are trying to improve your game, what better way than to dig
into your game and find out what you are doing right and wrong.
Build on the things you are doing right and fix the problems and
mistakes. You must approach your own games from a completely
objective point of view. It is always helpful to get help from a
stronger chess player or chess teacher to help find your mistakes
and good moves. Anytime you learn something about yourself,
you are giving yourself a chance to improve. By learning what
kind of chess player you are, you will know yourself better.
Study anything you do any time you wish to find a way to better yourself.

e4 ! The new chess season begins...

It was September 19, 2009. This Saturday morning brought
306 chess players to Russell Elementary School with hopes
of winning all 5 chess games that day.  A new chess season
was about to begin.  Would the chess players be ready?
Would they remember the chess moves? Would they win,
lose, or draw?  How many points would the chess team get?
And perhaps many other questions....  Ray Martinez, coach
of the Brownsville Royal Knights used this tournament to
evaluate his chess students to find weaknesses and strenghts.
How can I be a better chess coach? What plan will better help
my chess players win more games.
My plan is simple:  focus on the individual chess player. 
This year, I will not train any chess teams. I will instead dedicate
all my energy on training the individual chess player. This year
the Royal Knights are going old-school. New goals to reach
and conquer, new openings to learn, new ideas of attack to explore
and develop, and new drills, exercises, thinking skills and a
new  logic - analyze  system.

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information: An inexpensive but effective way to help kids

Susan Polgar Chess Daily News and Information: An inexpensive but effective way to help kids