Social Chess for Seniors

[Hans Jung]

For the last year I have been offering chess courses for seniors at the Downtown Community Center here in Kitchener Ontario. My goal was to get seniors involved at a social level and eventually after I built the numbers have them join the KW Chess Club. They make terrific volunteers. As chess organization is challenged in Canada with not enough organizers I thought on a local level they would inject new organizational blood into the KW Chess Club. Our chess club has two rooms, our main room on the first floor and a tournament room on the second floor and the problem we have is that when we run tournaments (most of the time) - most of the members disappear to the tournament room. These new seniors could help in club volunteer positions and be a welcome presence in the main room most of the time.
Anyways today I had my once a week class with the seniors and we had our usual popular interactive team game. The class divides into two teams and the game is played out on a demo board monitored by me. Todays class consisted of 3 ladies on the white team and two ladies and a gentleman on the black team. Each team player alternated moves. Those of you who are turned off by bad opening moves should stop reading now. The amazing thing that follows happened because I didnt clamp down on their poor moves and encouraged independent thinking and only corrected blunders or pointed out basic strategy that they didnt know.
The game proceeded with: 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 d5 3.e3 Nc6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nh3 Ne4 7.f3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Bd6 9.Bb5 00 10.00 Bd7 11.e4 Qh4 12.e5 Be7 13.Re1 a6 14.Bd3 f6 15.f4 fxe5 16.fxe5 Rf3!!? The lady who suggested this was the oldest in the group (soon to be 83) and had only taken lessons for a year. She apologised for making the move (thinking from the look on my face that she had made a blunder) but I commended her on a Tal - like move (then I had to explain who Tal was) The rough variations run: If 17.Qxf3 Qxe1+ and Qxc3, or 17.gxf3 Qxh3 and the white kingside has been severely weakened or if the rook isnt taken then Rxh3. The game continued 17.gxf3 Qxh3 18.Bf1 Qh5 19.a4 Bh4 20.Re3 Rf8 21.Rb1 b6 22.Bxa6 Bg5 23.Rd3 Ne7 24.Ba3!? Ng6!!? 25.Bxf8 Kxf8 26.Qf1? Bxa4 27.Rb2 Nf4 28.Re3?? Nh3+ 29.Kg2 Bxe3 30.Qe1? Nf4 31.Kg3 Qg5# Just in time to meet the class finishing time. Its nice to see seniors freshly discovering the joys of chess. Food for thought for those of you running chess clubs out there and looking for ways to add new members.

[Jean-Pierre Rhéaume]

Re: Social Chess for Seniors

(...)

Todays class consisted of 3 ladies on the white team and two ladies and a gentleman on the black team. Each team player alternated moves.

Given the conditions, the game is refreshing.

A QUESTION, if a may.

How did they decide on their moves ?
I mean, did they discussed ? Probably so. Did they vote when there was no agreement on a move ?

But then, what about the other team ? They are listening, aren't they ?

Below, it looks like chess can be fun :)
(But don't break the fun by looking at the color of the right-hand square.)



Jean-Pierre Rhéaume

[Hans Jung]

Re: Social Chess for Seniors

Hi Jean-Pierre, Each player took turns making moves but suggestions from team members of course was allowed - even there were suggestions from the other team sometimes which had to be considered genuine or not! Sometimes very spirited discussion. Occasionally I would suggest a better opening try and why (for example pawn to c5 first instead of Nc6) but they wanted to do there own moves and I dont object unless its a clear blunder. At the end of the game there were a couple of clear blunders by the losing side but the winning team would not let me intervene as they were hot on the path of checkmate! Of course I was also happy about that because the game finished just at the end of class time (one hour). Friendly discussion, friendly arguments, camaraderie. Consensus by all - very enjoyable. I must also add that I started the class with "normal" games - one player against another - 4 or 5 games always in progress and I would run around and give tips and suggestions - very busy for me. One day in a fit of inspiration I tried a team game and its been voted the most popular by the class and now most of the time we have team games. In our current class a complete beginner joined and one of our regulars volunteered to teach her the moves so that I wouldnt have to and therefore the team game wouldnt be interrupted! Thanks for the picture - I had a good laugh - reminds me of my university days attending parties with the football team.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: Social Chess for Seniors

Hi Hans,

You are tapping into the market of the future!

There is a community centre in Montreal that provides servces to seniors...they have 100 paid staff and...are you sitting down...1,200 volunteers!

Not nobody volunteers...but people who have life experience and job skills that they are willing to offer to a place that provides them with a fun, social environment.

Larry

[Hans Jung]

Re: Social Chess for Seniors

Hi Larry, Thanks for the interesting post. Yes its clear seniors are a big market. My goal was clearly stated - to attract good volunteers to our local club. The CFC needs organizers and club executives and new volunteer blood - the perfect place to find them is amongst seniors - however what is needed is instructors to go out - do chess classes - and attract them to the clubs.