Junior Chess Event Calendar: Jan – March 2026

Join us every Monday for our junior chess sessions!  We have tailored activities for three distinct levels to ensure every player is challenged.

Target Ages: 5–18 years old

Levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced

January 12th: The Opening Safari 🦁 Beginner: Learn the "Golden Rules" to start your game safely.
Intermediate: Exploring the Italian Game and the importance of development.
Advanced: Deep dive into specialized opening theory and preparation.

January 19th: Tactical Treasure Hunt 💎 Beginner: Hunting for simple Forks and Skewers.
Intermediate: Mastering "Discovered Attacks" and "Removing the Defender."
Advanced: Calculating deep combinations and multi-move sacrifices.

January 26th: The Great Wall of Defense 🧱 Beginner: How to protect your King and spot danger early.
Intermediate: Learning "Interposing" and escaping tricky pins.
Advanced: Prophylaxis—learning to stop your opponent's plans before they happen.

February 2nd: Pawn Power! ♟️ Beginner: Learning how to march your pawns to the finish line.
Intermediate: Understanding "Pawn Chains" and how to create an outpost.
Advanced: Managing complex pawn structures and "Isolated Queen Pawns."

February 9th: Tournament Training Day ⏱️ Beginner: Introduction to using a chess clock and tournament etiquette.
Intermediate: Practicing "Notation" (writing down moves) and rapid play.
Advanced: Time management strategies for high-pressure competitive play.

February 16th: ⛔ CLOSED FOR HALF TERM ⛔ No session today—enjoy the break and keep practicing on Lichess!
February 23rd: Endgame Wizards 🧙‍♂️ Beginner: Mastering the "Ladder Mate" with two Rooks.
Intermediate: The "Rule of the Square" and King & Pawn versus King.
Advanced: Complex Rook and Pawn endings and "Opposition" techniques.

March 2nd: The Mastermind Challenge 🧠 Beginner: Learning to visualize the board and plan two moves ahead.
Intermediate: Identifying "Weak Squares" in your opponent's camp.
Advanced: Studying masterpiece games from the World Champions.

 

March 9th The Battlefield Commanders 🛡️

• Beginner: The "Safe House" Rule — Identifying which squares are truly safe for your pieces and avoiding "hanging" (unprotected) material.

• Intermediate: The Art of the Trade — Learning when a trade is a "good deal" and when to keep the tension to frustrate your opponent.

• Advanced: Prophylaxis & Prevention — Mastering the "over-protection" of key points and stopping your opponent’s plans before they even start.

March 16th: The Geometric Strike ⚡

• Beginner: The Battery Powerup — Aligning your Queen and Bishop (or Rooks) on a single line to create an unstoppable laser of force.

• Intermediate: The Greek Gift & Classic Sacrifices — Memorising the specific board shapes that allow for a winning piece sacrifice against a castled King.

• Advanced: Positional Imbalances — How to play effectively when you have a Knight against a Bishop, or two minor pieces against a Rook.

March 30th: Championship Finale 🥇 All Levels: End-of-term celebration, friendly tournament, and prize-giving!