Chess Team

Welcome to the Avenues Chess Team! The already prestigious Avenues chess team is looking forward to another successful season. Chess Team members will join practice sessions every Friday from school dismissal until 5:00 pm for ELC and Lower Division students, and 6:00 pm for Upper Division students. Chess Team is a year-long commitment, as we are building a strong Avenues team and want to continue building each student's level and abilities. Team members will scrimmage, develop strategy and new skills, and receive coaching during these sessions to prepare them for tournament play. All should be prepared to attend local weekend tournaments, as well as additional tournaments held at local schools 1-2 times per month. Once part of the Avenues Chess Team, the school will provide coaches for the four major tournaments per year.

Registration Process

Students in grades K-12 are welcome to join the team after meeting with a Chess coach to determine their readiness for tournament play. Once your student has been invited to join the Chess Team, you can register below. In early Fall, Growing Minds will hold a Chess team meeting to provide an overview, answer questions, discuss expectations, and share the schedule for the year.

To express interest in Chess Team, please write to [email protected] with your child's full name and Chess Team in the subject line.

Intro to Chess Team

This class is ideal for students who have mastered piece movement and the basic rules of chess, and are interested in competitive chess but not yet ready for the team. Students will be prepared for the chess team by learning tournament strategy, approaching different types of players, time management and use of chess clocks, how and when to notate, understanding how to play as a team, chess tournament etiquette, and how to focus before and after each match and outcome. Topics will include checkmate patterns, tactical motifs and chess miniatures. Critical thinking skills and pattern recognition will be developed.