Some call us Opinionate Perfectionists…but
We just think we know what works!
Castle Chess is made up of long time passionate chess teachers with years of experience in the trenches, and understand what is need to instill as sense of passion in our children( Age 5-15). We distill, synthesis the bare essentials of chess tactics, and strategic planning into individual easily digestible modules/lesson plans, organized into specific themes so as to be easily understood by our students. We bring light and insight into the game that sometimes can be overwhelming for the uninitiated beginner, and intermediate player. The market available for chess do not lack technical exposition, and overly technical commentary exposition that is so common in this game. We believe there is a time and place for students preparing for their first chess tournaments, but not for the chess beginners, and intermediate players.
Our Chess teachers understands that for the children, chess class is not just a time when they learn a few tricks of the game, but most of all, it is a time for them to challenger their friends to a match. Chess at its core is a competitive activity, thus, we make an effort to teach students good sportsmanship. We teach our students to shake hands before a game, and to shake hands after a game. We teaches students to be graceful when they win, or lose. We instilll in our children a passion for learning, and this we think, transfer to whatever they do in life.
Get in touch with us to setup time for our after school chess program, or use the contact form at the bottom of this page to inquire whether our services are right for your location.
Our Class Structure
The class is one hour long, split into two segments. In the first half hour, a coach gives a lesson on a theme, idea, motif, or classical game. Students participate by debating and attempting to find the best move in certain positions. We follow a curriculum that is tailored to the level of the class. Our primary focus are tactics, endgames, and identifying checkmating patterns. Homework is given to supplement the topics covered in class and reviewed the following week. We also review classical chess games to learn from the successes and failures of masters from previous eras.
Beginner Chess Curriculum
Our primary focus are tactics, endgames, and identifying checkmating patterns. Homework is given to supplement the topics covered in class and reviewed the following week. We also review classical chess games to learn from the successes and failures of masters from previous eras.The class will cover basic pieces: Pawns, Knights, Bishops, Rooks, The Queens, and The King. In addition, the basic concepts such as Check, Checkmate, Castling, En Passant, and Draws. We cover these concepts using practical examples from the history of chess.
Intermediate Chess Curriculum
We will be exploring games from the early 1800s to the late 1900s and discover the amazing history of this timeless game. We will learn about the heroes of chess from Paul Morphy to Bobby Fischer. We will also go over forks, pins, skewers, remove the guard, discover attacks, decoys, and sacrifices. We cover these concepts using practical examples from the history of chess.
Our Program Locations
3645 Mowry Ave, Fremont, CA 94538
4966 Paseo Padre Pkwy # B, Fremont, CA 94555
3880 Middlefield Road, Palo Altos, CA 93403
6565 CA-35 Hillsborough, CA 94010
6500 Garaventa Ranch Rd, Livermore, CA
1125 Concord St, Pleasanton, CA 94566
39977 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 64539
4160 Hacienda Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588
715 Hellyer Ave, San Jose, CA 95111
6379 Clark Ave STE 200, Dublin, CA 94568
330 W 20th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403
6180 Jarvis Ave Suite F, Newark, CA 94560
1350 S Park Victoria Dr Suite 36, Milpitas, CA 95035
3380 Blackhawk Plaza Cir #112, Danville, CA 94506
6665 Owen Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588
33330 Peace Terrace, Fremont, CA 94555
1850 Lexington Ave, San Mateo, CA 94402
39380 Civic Center Dr, Fremont, CA 94538
2720 Alameda de Las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA 94403
1325 E Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035
1402 Dempsey Rd, Milpitas, CA 95035
39600 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
1095 Dunford Way Suite 800, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
717 E El Camino Real #10, Sunnyvale, CA 94087
90 E Latimer Ave, Campbell, CA 95008
2500 Hansen Rd, Hayward, CA 94541
4047 Alder Ave, Fremont, CA 94536
2720 Aborn Rd, San Jose, CA 95121
26236 Adrian Ave, Hayward, CA 94545
4953 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051
3550 Bernal Ave #100B, Pleasanton, CA 94566
448 Ignacio Blvd #288, Novato, CA 94949
90 E Latimer Ave, Campbell, CA 95008
820 Kiely Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051
2733 Stoneridge Dr suite A-101, Pleasanton, CA 94588
7485 Village Pkwy, Dublin, CA 9456
487 Jacklin Rd, Milpitas, CA 95035
46132 Warm Springs Blvd #101, Fremont, CA 94539
6044 Dougherty Rd, Dublin, CA 94568
2500 Hansen Rd, Hayward, CA 94541
4671 Chabot Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588
☎ CONTACT
Josh@castle-chess.com
(510) 766-1429
Stages of Chess
Opening
The first few moves in the chess opening lays the foundation for every chess game. Most of the chess openings have been named and analyzed for hundreds of years. It is important if you want to be successful in chess to be familiar with some of the most popular openings and understand the theory behind the moves..
Middlegame
The middlegame is the main stage of the game. Studying this part of chess is essential to understanding concepts such as weak squares, a strong center, open files, when to exchange pieces, etc. An improving payer must know how to evaluate the position and create a plan.
endgame
Pawns become more important as endgames often revolve around attempting to promote a pawn by advancing it to the eighth rank. The king, which has to be protected in the middlegame due to threat of checkmate, becomes a strong piece in the endgame. It can be brought to the center of the board and act as a useful attacking piece.
“A moment when the mind is free to let the body create”
-Enso