Do You Want to be Part of the SF School of Chess?

(The above students in group 2 range in rating from 1850 to 2050.)

The San Francisco School of Chess is recruiting interested students (K-12) for its second season of classes from October through January. The exact dates have yet to be determined, but will be roughly once a month. All classes are 2-3 hours long and take place on weekends at the Mechanics' Institute Chess Club in downtown San Francisco. Sponsored through the Mechanics' Institute, the instructors so far in the exciting first year have included Grandmasters Gregory Kaidanov and Melik Khachiyan plus IM David Pruess. There will be a nominal fee for students. Please visit this informational website for additional details, including the School's philosophy.

Students will be divided into three groups with the following rating divisions:

1. Juniors rated over 2100.
2. Juniors rated over 1800.
3. Elementary (K-6) kids rated over 1600 + Primary (K-3) kids rated over 1400 + Top Northern California Girls
   

A word about the selection process: We are lucky to have many promising players in the area right now, and we do not yet have the capacity to accomodate everyone. In the interest of keeping classes focused and productive, we will keep the class sizes somewhat small. In addition to chess playing strength, our main criteria for who can attend will be based on commitment. Students are expected to commit to participating in most of the sessions (at least 3 out of 4) and remaining active in chess events outside of our program. Players who are active at the Mechanics’ Institute tournaments may stand a better chance of being noticed for this special opportunity. Finally, if the dates of our sessions do not work, don’t despair! We will update our schedule and invitation list periodically throughout the year.

If you are interested in the San Francisco School of Chess, can commit to attending 3 out of 4 weekend classes in October through January and fit into one of the above rating categories, contact IM David Pruess by the end of August. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask either Pruess, Mechanics' Institute Chess Room Director IM John Donaldson or myself. Email addresses may be found at the informational website.