Having developed in china between 3,000 and 4,000 years ago, Weiqi (called Go
in Japan and Baduk in Korea) contends with backgammon for the right to be
called the oldest game still played in its original form. Today millions in Asia and
thousands elsewhere play Weiqi. Ironically, Weiqi has had it difficulties in China, where
Confucius looked on it as a waste of time. Mao Zedong initially required his generals to
study it only to have it condenmed during the Cultural Revolution as a pastime of
intellectuals.Weiqi was introduced in Japan 1,200 to 1,400 years ago, reportedly by a
Buddhist priest who had visited China. It seems to have shown up in Korea before Japan,
but in Japan, the game was developed to its full potential. Weiqi was studied by Japan's
warrior class and eventually institutionalized in four "Go houses", where
families developed and passed down Go techniques in the same way that other Japanese
families passed down their techniques of sword-making and other skills of craftsmanship.
Go spread to all levels of society and by the 18th century, had attained a status equal to
that of the famed tea ceremony. Today, in China, Weiqi has regained its prominence
following the end of the Cultural Revolution. Many first class Weiqi professionals have
emerged and won championships in competition with their counterparts in Japan and Korea.
Chess
Class Description
Chess
Both Chess and Chinese Chess have had long histories. Students will learn and practice
the basic rules and fundamental strategies at different stages of a game. As a result,
students gain mental toughness, self-confidence and learn sportsmanship. Chess also
helps to develop logical thinking, strategic planning and problem solving.
Click here
to view the class schedule.
Advanced Chess II
The course will continue the main themes as Advanced Chess I. Moreover and unique
for this course, during the first half of the semester, I will cover and explain
50 basic fascinating and beautiful checkmate patterns contained in How to Beat Your
Dad at Chess such as back rank mate, Arabian mate, smothered mate, and Fisher
Trap etc. During the second half of the semester, I will cover and explain 50 basic
famous and wonderful chess tactics contained in Chess Tactics for Kids such
as Greek sacrifice, stalemates, zwischenzug etc. Every week's exercises are based on the lessons.
This course requires students to have basic chess knowledge such as basic chess
principles, checkmate and stalemate, pawn vs. king ending, knowing how to checkmate
with a single rook or two bishops, solve one or two move puzzles. These
two books are available at Amazon:
How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids.
Intermediate Chess
This course will continue Beginner Chess and further cover various chess topics.
The students will learn from mini chess games, basic checkmate patterns, and chess
tactics. Students will also play chess during classes and learn to play Bughouse
and Blitz. Homework will be 20 simple puzzles each week. Beginner Chess or equivalent
level is required
and parents' cooperation is required as well.
Advanced Chess
The course will cover a variety of important chess topics including but not
limited to: chess principles, Queen’s Gambit Declined and Colle System for white
openings, Sicilian Defense for black openings, endgames, tactics (more than 1000
chess puzzles which I have compiled), annotated games form Kasparov, Tarrasch,
Capablanca and Alekhine (every move will be explained), checkmate patterns and
analyzing student games. Chess playing will be very limited during the classes
due to the valuable lecture time. There will be a lot of activities in the class
as well as in tournaments for the students. They will have excitements and
despair, ups and downs, wins and losses. But the most important things about
chess, as my son puts it, are “beat other kids, win trophies, make friends and
have a lot of fun”. With professional chess teacher charging $30-40 an hour, you
can’t beat this $68 a semester chess course. This course requires students to
have basic chess knowledge such as basic chess principles, checkmate and
stalemate, pawn vs. king ending, knowing how to checkmate with a single rook or
two bishops, solve one or two move puzzles.
Beginner Chess
The course will cover the most basic chess knowledge
such as piece movement, pawn games (including En Passant), pawn promotion,
values of pieces, concepts of checkmate and stalemate, basic chess principles,
one move checkmate puzzles, short chess games, scholar's mate, fool's mate,
basic tactic terms (fork, pin, skewer, double check, discovery attack).
Mini
Exercise -- Four pages of exercises asking whether the position is
checkmate, stalemate, or black has a legal move. (Designed for very young
children.)
Basic
Checkmates -- Remember: these checkmates are basic but not
simple. Rook Roller, Rook and King vs. King, Queen and King vs. King,
Two Bishops vs. King, Knight and Bishop vs. King
Chess in
Chicago
-- Comprehensive website about
scholastic chess in
Chicagosuch as tournament event schedules.
Teach Chess in 64 Mini
Lessons
-- Best interactive chess lessons for kids
Play Yahoo
Chess
-- Best online chess playing website
Simple Checkmates -- 202 checkmate
puzzles. Always white to move. First 100 puzzles are one move checkmate. Next
102 puzzles are two move checkmate. The document is only available for students
registered for chess classes at
Ray
Chinese School
. To request a copy, please
send email to Vincent Wu
.
Chess Puzzles -- I have compiled
around 1000 chess puzzles covering 1-4 move checkmate or tactics. The html
documents are only available for students registered for chess classes at
Ray Chinese
School
. To request a copy, please send email to Vincent Wu
.
Chess DVD -- The most famous
Susan Polgar's Winning Chess the
Easy
Way
: Complete Series (Volume
1-5) are for advanced chess players to watch. The video series are only
available for students registered for chess classes at
Ray Chinese
School
. To
borrow the copy, please send email to Vincent
Wu
.
Chess books covered in the classes: 1)
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev; 2) How to Beat
Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chandler; 3) Chess Tactics for Kids
by Murray Chandler;
