Is your child interested in taking a chess lesson with five time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen? Now’s your chance! He’s going to do an event with Magnus Chess Academy on July 30th. He’ll solve puzzles and answer student questions. Magnus has been the highest rated player in the world for 12 years and was the youngest player ever to be ranked first in the world. Here’s a favorite question and answer from a prior event:
The event is open to:
Anyone who does an in-person camp with Magnus Academy in June or July
In person camps are a great way for excited students of all skill levels to play and learn chess. They’re a mix of lessons, practice games, and breaks to go outside and run around. There are locations all over the metro area all summer long, and everyone who does a camp in June or July can join the online lesson with Magnus at the end of July.
They also run tournaments (suitable for kids who’ve never played in a tournament before) all year round!
This post is sponsored by Magnus Chess Academy, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will appeal to KFDC readers.
Winter is a great season for chess, and you can have two months for the price of one with Magnus Academy’s Cyber Monday chess promotion! It’s a great gift for either beginner players or advanced students. Formerly called Silver Knights, Magnus Academy has classes for all levels with great coaches!
Magnus Chess Academy has taught 100,000+ kids chess in the area since 2008. Between now and Cyber Monday, November 28: Use the coupon code “cyber” when you buy one month, and get the second month free!
How does the online academy work? Read below to find out!
1. New students start with a quick assessment to figure out what level classes they should take, from Pawns (how do you play chess?) to Kings (some of the best kids in the state for their age). 2. Schedule your weekly semi-private classes. There are classes Mondays through Saturdays for each level, so that you’ll definitely be able to find good (and flexible) times that work for your family. Take a look at the times here. Experienced coaches keep the classes engaging, approachable, and fun for the students. 3. Join as many big group events as you want — like online tournaments (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays) and bonus lessons (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays). 4. Visits from famous chess players like Chess World Champion Magnus Carlsen (see video below from last visit), who is joining on Sunday, December 4! Other guest instructors include Anish Giri, the #7 player in the world and very fun!), Judit Polgar (best female chess player ever, 5 visits this year), and more.
This Cyber Monday sale is a great way to start chess (think holiday gift)! A few more things to know:
Cost is $89/month.
The academy is month-to-month with no long term commitment.
Start anytime and stop any time.
If you join the academy, and for whatever reason it’s not the right fit, cancel in your first two weeks for a full refund.
Sign up here — and remember to use the coupon code “cyber” for your second month free!
This post is sponsored by Magnus Chess Academy, however, I only promote programs, activities, and businesses that I genuinely believe in and/or think would appeal to KFDC readers.
Silver Knights has been teaching chess to kids at hundredsof schools in the DC area since 2009, instructing thousands of students on the game every week. For the last few years, they’ve also been doing an online chess club for kids, and they are currently offering a great way to get started.
Between now and Cyber Monday, November 29: Use the coupon code “cyber” when you buy one month, and get the second month free!
How does an online chess club for kids work? Read on to find out!
1. New students start with a quick assessment to figure out what level classes they should take, from Pawns (how do you play chess?) to Kings (some of the best kids in the state for their age).
Classes are offered 25 times a week before school, after school, and on Saturdays, so that you’ll definitely be able to find good (and flexible) times that work for your family. Experienced coaches keep the classes engaging, approachable, and fun for the students.
3. Join as many extras — like online tournaments (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays) and broadcast lessons (weekdays) — as you want.
4. Occasional events like tournaments with clubs from other countries, and guests like Anish Giri (picture below, the #7 player in the world and very fun!) on Wednesday, November 24, or Judit Polgar (best female chess player ever).
Winter is a perfect time to start chess, and this Cyber Monday sale is a great way to do it (think holiday gift)! A few more things to know:
Cost is $79/month.
The club is month-to-month with no long term commitment.
Start anytime and stop any time.
If you join the club, and for whatever reason it’s not the right fit, cancel in your first two weeks for a full refund.
Sign up here — and remember to use the coupon code “cyber” for your second month free!
This is a paid post by Silver Knights, however, I only promote programs, places, and businesses that I genuinely believe in and/or think would appeal to KFDC readers.
Silver Knights is a locally owned small business, started by two brothers, with the goal of teaching chess to kids. Over the last 15 years they’ve taught chess to 100,000 kids in hundreds of schools in and around DC. For the last year, they’ve been running their club online! Each week, close to a thousand students ages 5-14 have a lot of fun learning chess and socializing with each other in their live online small group classes.
In celebration of the online club’s birthday, they have a special discount for KidFriendly DC parents: Get $50 off your first month, so it’s $29 instead of $79 if you sign up by the end of March with the code KFDC!
The club is designed for busy families, so scheduling is flexible and you can start and stop any time, and the program is month to month with no long term commitment required.
So, how exactly does an online chess club for kids work? Right after signing up, you schedule a Getting Started meeting, where you and your child chat with a member of the Silver Knights team about how fun chess club will be, what your child will learn, and how everything works. They also do a quick no-pressure assessment to figure out the level of lessons where your child should begin. They teach Pawns (wait… what’s chess?), Kings (I love the Sicilian Dragon!), and everyone in between.
After the Getting Started meeting, you can schedule weekly small group classes. These are 55 minutes long, and you can do one per week. There are a ton of class slots, so it’s easy to find one that works for you:
Mondays: 11am, 2pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm
Tuesdays: 3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm
Wednesdays: 11am, 2pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm
Thursdays: 3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:30pm
Fridays: 3:30pm, 4:30pm
Saturdays: 11am, 1pm
Scheduling is flexible, so it’s no problem to usually do, say, 4:30pm on Tuesdays, but switch time slots occasionally. (The Silver Knights team is nice and will help to make things fit your schedule!) The way the classes work is that the kids do a silly icebreaker to meet each other and the coach, followed by a 25 minute lesson. The lesson is designed to be participatory and exciting for the kids. After the lesson, the coach pairs the students up and they play games against each other on a safe online platform. During the games, the kids can chat with each other and the coach about the games… or the fun things they did in the snow last week. Curious what a lesson is like? Watch a clip of a Knights class.
In addition to the weekly lesson, there’s a bunch of other stuff included in the online club membership:
Online tournaments on Tuesdays at 5pm, Wednesdays at 5:30pm, Fridays at 4:30pm, and Saturdays at 9:30am
Special events, like an online tournament with a club from Australia or extra special guest instructors.
The chance to easily bring in guest instructors has been really exciting, and has given students access to brilliant diverse chess players and role models. A few examples are: The best female chess player of all time (two visits!), a Colombian women’s grandmaster (and engineer), two stars of the acclaimed chess documentary Brooklyn Castle, a couple Silver Knights alumni who’ve won a combined 11 state tournaments and 7 national tournaments, and a US (adult) Champion… with another US Champion visiting in April!
The Weissbarth brothers’ early chess days
Club membership is $79/month, but as a special for the club’s one year anniversary, you can get $50 off your first month with the coupon code KFDC. Learn more and register at www.skchess.com!
Questions? You can reach out to info@skenrichment. They’re nice!
This post is sponsored by Silver Knights, however, I only promote programs, places, and businesses that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.
