FJCC Enters UK Chess Challenge for 2019

Frimley Junior Chess Club has entered the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge for 2019.

Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge
Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge

All members of Frimley Junior chess club will take part during the Spring in this exciting tournament with an opportunity to qualify for the Hampshire or Surrey or Berkshire Megafinal (as appropriate) in April / May 2019.

Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge
Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge

John Upham, Co-Founder of Frimley Junior Chess Club

HOW SCHOOLS ARE USING CHESS TO LURE CHILDREN AWAY FROM SCREENS

A thought provoking article that we recommend.

Make the right move
Make the right move

An excerpt :

When it’s time for “big lunch” in Blarney Street CBS, you might expect the boys to make a mad dash outside to play chase or football. Instead, many make a move in a different way: their lunchtime sport of choice is chess.

The strategic board game has been a feature at this Cork primary school for years, a tradition principal Billy Lynch brought with him from his primary school days.

At a time when screens are blamed for shortening children’s attention spans, Lynch finds chess is luring pupils away from their phone screens and helping to foster crucial skills we once took for granted.

“It’s quite social, during lunch they chat away while they are playing,” says Lynch.

He has also noticed how chess is helping his students develop emotional resilience. “You bare your soul when you are playing chess because it’s all about you – you can’t blame the equipment,” says Lynch, “Chess teaches you how to lose.”

But it is the impact of the strategic game on students’ concentration that really stands out.

“In this day and age, when concentration levels are not what they were previously thought to be, you can see them thinking two or three moves ahead.”

Benefits
Up and down the country, other schools are embracing chess too and seeing the benefits among schoolchildren.

April Cronin, a retired primary school principal and former Irish chess champion, runs chess workshops for teachers in Dublin.

She has noticed social awkwardness becoming more prevalent in her chess clubs of late. It prompted her to teach basic social interactions during her chess lessons. “The first thing I taught them was how to actually shake somebody’s hand and look them in the eye. It was extraordinary how many children didn’t know how to do that,” she says.

Click above to read the full article.

Partnership Announcement : Camberley Chess Club

Frimley Junior Chess Club is delighted to announcing a partnership with Camberley Chess Club with a reciprocal arrangement to benefit us.

FJCC and CCC are partners
FJCC and CCC are partners

 

As our members develop as chess players and increase their desire to play more chess and challenge more experienced players we recommend Camberley Chess Club as a thriving club which meets on Tuesday evenings locally.

Camberley Chess Club was established in 1972 and plays in two local leagues and we are pleased to have confirmed a partnership between our two clubs.

The partnership means we will recommend Camberley Chess Club to FJCC members who wish to take their chess further and play in evening league matches and attend club sessions.

In turn, Camberley Chess Club will recommend FJCC to any junior members who may wish to play other juniors of similar experience on a Sunday morning.

UK Chess Challenge Special Meeting : Sunday, April 8th

Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge
Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge

The ninth meeting of 2018 will take place on Sunday, April 8th at Frimley Village Hall from 9:30am until 12:30pm.

This week we start earlier at 9.30am and we will run a UK Chess Challenge tournament for all children who have not already qualified.

This is your chance to qualify to a MegaFinal of the UK Chess Challenge : there are many to chose from.

The hall owners have kindly allowed us to start at 9.30am so that we can fit in the tournament. Lots of fun prizes for all the children !

Hopefully there will be time for seven games for each child using a chess timer.

There will a trophy for the overall winner plus many other prizes for everyone taking part.

All the best,

John, Peter, Colin and Kim

UK Chess Challenge Badge
UK Chess Challenge Badge

Wellington College Tournament and Training Day

Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire
Wellington College, Crowthorne, Berkshire

Frimley Junior Chess Club will be closed on Sunday, March 25th to allow all members to participate in a superb chess event at Wellington College, Crowthorne.

To enter online please click here.

The event is being organised by Grandmaster Nick Pert and Jocelyn Kirby.

John Upham will be helping as one of the arbiters and photographer.

Hope to see you there!