CT State Chess Association 2021 Scholastic Club of the Year 

Join your Riverfield friends on a quest to unravel the mysteries of the chessboard! 

PLEASE CONTACT DAVID.THAL@GMAIL.COM and/or JESSICA.BOWER6@GMAIL.COM with your chess club questions. 

What is Chess? Chess is a time-honored game (dating back 1,500 years!). Two players maneuver sixteen pieces—kings, queens, rooks, bishops, knights, and pawns—across the squares. The objective? Checkmate the opponent’s king, trapping it with no escape. Each piece moves uniquely: queens glide freely, knights leap in an L-shape, and pawns advance cautiously. Strategy reigns supreme—anticipate, control the board, and outwit your rival. No hidden cards or dice--just pure mental combat. From medieval courts to digital screens, chess endures—a battle of minds, where every move echoes centuries of tradition. 🤓♟️ 

What is Chess Club? Chess Club puts the PLAY back in playing chess. We offer your Riverfield student (1st grade and up) a chance to explore this captivating game in a setting balancing fun casual play with serious competition. Around 100 students participate in Chess club each year (a third of the students in Grades 1-5!) 

Going strong for over 25 years, we are an extra-curricular before-school club activity at Riverfield, overseen by parent volunteers, offering instruction and game play in a fun and safe environment for our kids. Our main goals are developing respect for the fellow student, critical thinking skills, building confidence and self-esteem, experiencing competition and sportsmanship, and having fun!  

- Beginner members take a 5-week chess class to begin the program.  

- Game play follows the following format:  

- Grade Level Fall Chess Fest Round Robin Tournament 

- Winter Tournament (Format TBD) 

- Grade Level Harry Potter House Cup-Themed Year-End Tournament 

- Students are offered optional chess problems corresponding to their level of experience each week to further develop their special reasoning skills and chess tactics. 

- We host other fun-filled chess activities such as an optional “Chess Team” tournament with other local schools, a “Girls who Checkmate Class”, and a chess exchange with our sister school, Cesar Batalla, in Bridgeport. 

Riverfield Chess Club may compete at 1 or more external (optional) chess tournaments such as the NECA Tournament in Stamford in February. 

 
Who Can Join? Chess Club is open to everyone in grades 1 through 5, at any skill level, from “I have no idea what chess is” to children wanting to compete in external state tournaments. We offer something for everyone.  There were over 100 Chess Club members last year and we hope for a fun big group again this year!   

Club contacts: JESSICA.BOWER6@GMAIL.COM and  DAVID.THAL@GMAIL.COM 

WITH REGISTRATIONS OR ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS 

For anyone looking for a replay of the chess lessons for players new and old, please find helpful links here: 

1. This link explains the chess pieces:  http://www.chesslab.com/rules/chesspieces.html
2. This link explains how to set up the chess board:  https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-set-up-a-chessboard
3. This link explains basic piece movement and game strategy:  https://www.chess.com/learn-how-to-play-chess#chess-strategies
4. Matt Tuccillo recorded the Riverfield Beginners Class posted to a YouTube channel. The 5-session live class translated into 7 videos covering all the same topics as the live class - for each video, click "more" in the description field to see the specific subjects covered.  If your child misses any live sessions this month, or if you want to review anything at home, these videos are a good way to do it.  Please excuse pandemic appearance.  Here is the (non-public) link to the full class: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHxXi1YKqJPH-7-QXxpRZmhglQ2rC276m