Scholastic chess and competitive chess:

How different?

lecture by Karel van Delftwww.chesstalent.com www.schaakacademieapeldoorn.nl

A lot in common

Competitive chess and scholastic (educational) chess have a lot in common:

Chess lessons, methods (varia)Didactics, empathyPsychological insights

Definitions

Scholastic chess (teaching) education, personal development funempowerment if disabilitiesCompetitive chess (training)recreationaltop sport

Introduction Karel van Delft

Psychologist Chess teacher and trainerJournalist

www.schaakacademieapeldoorn.nlwww.chesstalent.com

karel@kvdc.nl

Teacher

Book ‘Schoolschaken’ (school chess)

Trainer

Book ‘Developing Chess Talent’

Video about book DCT

� Book about developing chess talent and creating a chess culture:Coaching, training, organization, communication

� IM Merijn van Delft presents book in a videowww.youtube.com/watch?v=DGgr-NntMNs

Mark Dvoretsky, Armen and Thomas with DCT

Differences and similaritiesSimilarities� Learning rules and basis techniques� Deliberate practice (what, how, where, when, why)� Variation, participation and fascination� Empathic qualified trainer� Seventeenth chess piece (self reflection, self management, study attitude)� Social, emotional, cognitive, meta-cognitive aspects� Role of parents

Differences� Focus: result or education� Ambitions� Amount of time involved� Content training in later stages

Not often asked questions about scholastic chess benefits and transfer

� A lot of research: chess education benefits for personal development� Often unclear: what chess is teached and how

(French opening, tactics, etc)� How to teach, role of teacher

(e.g. discovery learning, frontal teaching, empathy)� Effects on social, emotional, cognitive, meta-cognitive aspects

Transfer matterChess as a subject in primary schools?

Chess players better school results

Lots of variables, several angles

In addition to social, emotional and cognitive learning effects there are also metacognitive learning effects possible as a result of chess education.What you can achieve is the result of a combination of specific chess aspects (tactics, strategy, etc.) you use in combination with specific teaching methods and the target group (age, etc.). It is therefore the combinations are crucial. Compare it with H2 and O, separately they are different from the combination: H2O water. In addition, different learning effects are possible for different students: one learns to deal with losses, another learns to think more creative. Because there are so many variables at stake, it is hard to find in quantitative research very large effects on a single dimension. Therefore, you should not just look at results of quantitative research but also at experiences in practice and qualitative research.

Why chess in schools?

� Chess is metaphor for life

� Learning by playing

� Stimulates development� cognitive� social� emotional� meta-cognitive

4 Aspects

� Cognitive, e.g. argumentation

� Emotional, e.g. dealing with losing

� Social, e.g. cooperation while analyzing

� Meta-cognitive skills: thinking about yourself and thinking about thinking

Benefits reached by

� Intrinsic qualities of the game

� Method of education

� H2O makes water

Script

� Primary school natural environment to learn chess

� Necessary: empathic adult who can teach, organize, motivate

� Important: Script, make clear what you do(for yourself and school, parents, children)

Use a method

� Interconnected activities, which are applied in a certain way with a certain goal

� Elements: structure and culture

Key factors in method

� Variation

� Fascination

� Participation

Didactical principles� Fun is main motor for learning� Success experiences� Empathy: answer questions of children, react on remarks, be supportive� Knowledge, understanding and skills� Skills development by playing and exercises� Present lectures in a attractive way� On level of child (words, examples)� Chess is an adventure full of surprises� Stimulate children to discover answers themselves, use indicative questions� Ideal maximal group 12 children: interactivity� Use various teaching techniques: explain, show, discuss, group work, game analysis, exercises� Quiz with points can stimulate� Via duos children learn to consult and formulate thoughts� Etc.

Polgar – Waitzkin elements education� Stimulate early learning performance� Accent on stimulation via environment, not innate talent� High but attainable goals� Learning via play elements� Make children selfconscious early on� Much variation in practice� Systematical approach� Realistic taxation of developmental potential and load capacity� Understand limitations regular school system� Creating stimulating environment� Qualified and empathic teachers and trainers� Children draw conclusions themselves while learning� Dosed success experiences� Develop bit by bit resilience � Accept children make unavoidable mistakes� Trust intrinsic motivation of children� Don’t project exaggerated expectations on children� Take children serious� Take in consideration personality features and developmental stage features

Education: direct and indirect transfer

DirectWhat you learn in one domain using in other(e.g. counting chess pieces, counting on school)

IndirectLearning attitudeConcentrationGrowth vs fixed mindset

Research and methodological flawsLondon Conference 2016 John Jerrim: no benefits chess teaching on math results

� Video Karel interview Jerrimwww.youtube.com/watch?v=TLWANu8mWio

� Video Sala critical on research Jerrimhttp://londonchessconference.com/giovanni-sala-comments-on-current-chess-and-education-research

� Article newsletter 41 Schaakacademie Apeldoorn (page 38)www.schaakacademieapeldoorn.nl/documenten/Nieuwsbrief%20Schaakacademie%20Apeldoorn%2041%20-%2018%20januari%202017.pdf

Explaining chess technique and psychological insights

� Connect to pupils experiences, knowledge and mental stage

� Speak language of pupils

� Not too much information at the same time

� Give practical advises how to deal with problems

Basis good training and teachingPupils co-author own upbringingDeliberate practiceEmpathy trainer-teacher

Content:� Question round� Tactics� Game analysis� Varia� Competition

What motivates children to learn?

� Curiosity� Surprises (you surprise with Réti, they you with questions)� Ambitions� Experiences� ?

What does this mean for the way we teach?

Creating a stimulating environmentBuild a concrete program and routines based on:

� Trainers, trainings� Study material� Training place� Training program � Time� Collaborating with training partners is stimulating� To have yourself influence on a process is an important success determinant� Success experiences� Positive feedback from trainers and parents (on efforts, not on result or personality)� Determine real expectations and convert them into clear goal-setting (aspects: perform, fun, learning)� Space for failures (you have the right to be wrong: failures acceptable, experiments)

Attention:- Not everyone learns and develops the same way- These factors can also work out negative if they are applied incorrectly

� Important distinction between result and performance goals

� Result goals: Comparison with competitors. Result of a game (1-0). Influence of circumstances, coincidence and opponent.

� Performance goals: Comparison with yourself. You show what you are capable of. Doing this you can control yourself.

� Doing so concentration and self-confidence will raise and fear of failure will decrease.

� It is natural if you want to win. But the paradox is by concentrating on a performance goals you are focused on your task and you can perform better.

Fear of failure: performance goals

What is chess thinking

Important aspects:

� Pattern recognition (e.g. castling)

� Rules of thumb (e.g. three golden opening rules)

� Calculation

Chess performance

Result of � Chess qualities� Mental qualities� Physical condition� Coincidence

You can influence the factorsLearning and behaviour can be more productive

Concentration

Exercise: � What is concentration?� Make a list of possibilities to destroy concentration

Reverse the listFormulate what to doCheck list regularlyBuild routines

SkillsPractice makes perfectBuild up productive routines

UCCO� Unconscious not skillful� Conscious not skillful� Conscious skillful� Unconscious skillful

Compliments

Positive reinforcement

A compliment can do wonders

Stimulates self-image, motivation of pupils

Help for searching strategiesVia words you can give help for searching strategiesE.g. Piece is attacked

� Take attacker� Put between� Go away� Support� Counter attack

Memory aid: TPGSP (In Dutch STUDT, sounds better)

Examples of Varia for

teaching and training

Chess is for everybody: Gens Una Sumus

Chess is fun

Mitrofanovwww.youtube.com/watch?v=2vgIQikkoKQ

Creative thinkingSee connections in unexpected way

Creativity: skill or gift?

What do you think?

Definition

Creativity is making connections between matters and ideas thatare not connected at first sight.

It enables you to find, use and develop more possibilities thanappear possible.

Expect the unexpected

� Creativity is a trainable way of thinking which leads to see, use and develop more possibilities

� Creativity is having big expectations of the unexpected

Einstein

‘Creativity is seeing something that others also see, but havingdifferent thoughts about it.’

Creativity is redefining

� Chess is a game of possibilities and limitations

� Define a problem in a different way

� You do not see something you do not look at

� A creative mind is open to paradoxical possibilities

� Welcome the unexpected

Watch inspiring videos

Participation in tournaments

Game with quiz questions

Tutor method

Tactics quiz: duos, forms, clock

Sites like Vuurboomhttp://jeroenvu.home.xs4all.nl/schaken

Beginners: small groups, interactive

Beginners: learn from each other

Deaf-mute consulting

Chess calendar

Chess paper download see button Leonardo schools on www.schaaktalent.nl

Immediate feedback

Humor (turn board 90 degrees)

Humor + information book Afek The Knight

Birthday present

Duo presents own game

Competition

Free pairing program Sevillawww.jbfsoftware.com multiple languages

Winner gets list of standings

Tournament games on internet

Analyse game of chess teacher

Formulate problem in words

Opening quiz: what is the decisive move

Lecture: attack with g4www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdt0ZVy6twE

Lecture: correspondence chesswww.chess.com

Lecture: national championships

Teacher simuls to trios

Quiz: yes or no

� All kids stand up

� Simple questions: yes or no

� Wrong answer: sit

Quiz: yes or no (and why)

� A player should accept losing

� You don’t have to understand, better learn openings by heart

� If you are afraid, you see more possibilities

� It is important to practise easy and difficult tactics

� It is useful to experiment

Invite IM: questions, simuls, blitz

Chess history site Asaf Fellerhttp://assaffeller.com

Combine openings with tactics (quiz)www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/kg.htm

Thematic positions

Is this a terrible position for white?

White is better in 10 variations

Black to move resigned What can black play?

Black to move should not resign(Lobron – Gretarsson, Leeuwarden 1995 – 41..Dd5+ draw)

Play at home

Offer free possibilities to play chess at home

� Tactics and playing games www.lichess.org

Show more sites during lessons

Moreno: conflict? Why to beat?

Chess for everybody: looking with your fingers