Scholastic Chess Page for SE Pennsylvania

A Parent's Guide to Chess Learn about how to improve at chess, why chess is good for students, how clubs and tournaments work, pairings, ratings, books, computers...includes a "mother's guide" appendix

Silver Knights - A complete Philadelphia-area scholastic chess program featuring tournaments, after school chess teaching programs, and camps!

Suggestion: If you live anywhere near Philadelphia and are grades K-12, consider the Delaware Valley Scholastic Grand Prix (DVGP) Events! Email PA Scholastic Chess Coordinator Steve McLaughlin

The booklet A Guide to Scholastic Chess by Dewain Barber is online at the previous link or available at American Chess Equipment for on-line order for free hardcopy. This is the perfect complement to my book, "A Parent's Guide to Chess" since the Guide is from the school/teacher perspective.

Chessville's helpful Scholastic Resource page!

The National Directory of Scholastic Clubs (scholastic US Chess Federation Affiliates) This includes both schools and scholastic non-school affiliated chess clubs

The official web site for the PA State Chess Federation - includes information on state scholastic championships or e-mail the PA Scholastic Chess Scholastic Coordinator Steve McLaughlin. Each year the two big open scholastic championship events are the PA Scholastic Chess Championship (currently in Carlisle just west of Harrisburg) and the Gr Philadelphia Scholastic Chess Championship. If interested in making a tax-deductible donation for scholarship prizes to support the latter, click here.

Dan's main books for learning about the world of chess are A Parent's Guide to Chess: tons of info for parents who want to help their kids progress, and which is available autographed by me, and Everyone's 2nd Chess Book.

Big push for chess clubs at Philadelphia schools. Also read about it here!

How Schools can get FREE Chess Boards and Sets:

   Call the US Chess Federation at 1-800-388-KING or Fax 1-845-561-2437 and ask for their "Chess-for-Youth" Questionnaire
   Return the completed questionnaire, along with a brief letter from the school principal, or program administrator, on official letterhead (if possible) to "US Chess Trust, c/o US Chess, PO Box 3967,Crossville, TN 38557"
   The US Chess Trust will review the request and, if approved, will send the school up to 5 FREE chess sets and boards!

Professor Chess - Lots of free & downloadable learning/ teaching material! Useful for school club and home! Take a peek.

Chess Club in A Box - All the equipment you will ever need to run a scholastic club - has three basic package prices.

Sponsoring Scholastic Chess! (click here for more information!):

... IS GOOD PUBLICITY FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND GOOD FOR KIDS! Full sponsorships get an event named after your business.
Even small amounts are very helpful for ensuring more prizes:

Main Line Speech Consultants, Ltd, M&T Bank, and the PSCF put up $50-$100 each to enhance prizes at the Gr Philadelphia Scholastic Championship - thanks! If you or your company would like to sponsor, please e-mail me...

COLLEGE CHESS SCHOLARSHIPS ***NEW LINK*** - Use the link for info on college chess scholarships! My son Delen was offered a full $100,000+ college scholarship for chess (but turned it down to go to Carnegie Mellon) and he was only rated 1800.

Full Chess Scholarships available; Univ. of Texas, Dallas site for more info
Maryland Chess Assn, including full chess scholarship information to UMB
$5,000 and 7 scholarships available to HS juniors, seniors - e-mail Carol Addison at USCF for info

USCF Scholastic Council - More on the American Chess School, Chess Camps, Coaches corner, Scholastic Committee, Scholastic Council, research, scholarships, etc!

College Chess

"Top Junior" Coaching Program

How to earn free lessons

The aim of my "Top Junior" coaching program is to provide a discount for promising juniors so that they can take ongoing lessons at a reasonable rate. While I do offer a regular $10 discount for players under age 19 with an established rating on the USCF "Top-100" lists for their age, for these same players I offer the following conditions for a program:

1) Take 20 hours of individual lessons within one calendar year at the special "top junior" rate of $10 off per hour and your next 5 hours of lessons in that same calendar year (max one per week) are FREE! Any individual lesson after 25 hours in the calendar year will be offered at $15 off the regular rate until December 31. (A multiple hour lesson discount does not apply since a "top junior" discount is better) So if you take 25 one one-hour lessons in a year, instead of costing $1,875 at $75/hr (this is just an example; check here for current rates), this would only cost 20 x $65 + 5x0 = $1300, a ~30% discount!

2) A student must have played at least 36 USCF slow-rated games during the previous 12 months, preferably more. This should be an easy requirement for most serious players, who more likely play closer to 100 rated games per year or more.

3) The player must be on his/her qualified age list at the start of that year's program, but not necessarily on Jan 1. For example if you first contact me when you are 12 years old and the 100th rated 12-year-old is currently rated 1479, then any 12 year old with an established rating of 1479 or over would qualify. If after starting the program the student rating falls below the limit, I will still honor my commitment for the remainder of that calendar year, but to qualify for future years they must again make the stated limit for their age based on any following year's official USCF rating. If a player achieves the limit in the middle of the calendar year, they now qualify, but any previous lessons that year do not qualify for the program.

4) As with any other student, the lessons must fit within my normal schedule and scheduling priority, with anyone's weekly lessons at the same day and time taking priority, etc. Players on this program have normal priority based on the scheduling vis other students. Lessons can be in-person or on the Internet via the Internet Chess Club (ICC). See my Lesson page on how I will buy a non-ICC member an ICC membership to take internet lessons.

5) A parent must state that they are entering the program, at least the first time, so we can start keeping track. If they qualify I will try to ask at least once. There is no obligation to for anyone to enter.

6) Rates for program members will vary based upon my regular base rate for the current year, but the same rough percentage discount will apply and be posted (see my Fees Pages).

7) Bonus: For anyone who has been on my top Junior program for at least one year, then achieves the following, and continues as part of my program for contiguous lessons at least one year afterward (i.e., you must be a continuous student for at least 25 lessons before and after the achievement), receives:

A) A USCF Expert Title: 5 free lessons

B) A USCF Master Title: 10 free lessons

C) Any FIDE OTB title (FM, IM, GM): A wood chess set from the House of Staunton