It's been exciting to see the number of new faces coming down to the club over the last few months, including new junior players. It seems the new website and Facebook page are helping to promote the club and to drive new membership enquiries. However, we are also very aware that making the transition from casual or online chess to club chess is not easy. To support new adult and junior players in their chess development, we are delighted to announce a new initiative, which we are calling Lichfield Chess Academy.
A disclaimer up front! We're going to 'test the waters' with a pilot programme in November and December, based on our initial thoughts for how this might function. We will then seek feedback from the players who attend and members who facilitate sessions. That feedback will undoubtedly lead to changes in future sessions.
Key information
- The Academy pilot will be open to all players, whether they are paying Lichfield members or not. There will be no charge to attend. (At some point in the future, paid club memberships or other charges may be required).
- Academy sessions will be for one hour per week, from 6pm to 7pm on Mondays in The King's Head function room (Bird Street, Lichfield, WS13 6PW). This time-slot leads into our normal Monday evening sessions of league and social chess, so players attending the Academy session can stay on to play further games if they wish.
- More experienced members are welcome to attend, but the focus will be on developing less experienced players, especially juniors. If club members are attending, we hope they will act as additional mentors or playing partners for Academy attendees, rather than playing casual games among themselves.
- Four sessions are planned initially, on 23rd November, 30th November, 7th December, 14th December 2026.
- Each session will include a training section, led by an experienced player, and a practical session to play or analyse games, work with a partner on a problem, or seek support from a more established club member.
- Although we won't be teaching chess from scratch in the sessions, anyone with a basic knowledge of the rules should be able to engage with the content.
Below is the suggested timetable for the sessions.
Timetable
Session 1 (November 23rd)
- Training: The tactics ladder: 5 puzzles, of increasing difficulty, how many can you solve?
- Practical: Over-the-board boot camp: chess annotation, clock handling and management, touch move, chess etiquette.
Session 2 (November 30th)
- Training: Opening principles: control the centre, develop your pieces, the role of castling etc.
- Practical: Mini blitz tournament
Session 3 (December 7th)
- Training: Basic endgames: King and Pawn endings
- Practical: Analysing your games
Session 4 (December 14th)
- Training: Classic mating patterns
- Practical: Feedback and future planning
How can you take part?
If you are an adult interested in attending yourself, please fill in the form below with your details.
If you are the parent of a junior player (under 18), complete the form on their behalf, using your contact details (i.e. your phone and email) not theirs. Note that, in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy, parents are expected to stay for the duration of sessions. Drinks and snacks are available from The King's Head bar downstairs.
Please complete the form as soon as you can to allow us to gauge numbers in advance. Thank you for your interest.
