I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

[Larry Bevand]

I have some ideas for future projects for our organisation.

We have been a dynamic force in Canada for over 27 years and we want to continue to make a significant contribution to chess in this country. We are in a strong financial situaton thanks to great people (managers, staff and teachers) working for our organization in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Our recent success was the Canadian Junior in Toronto.

We have the 25th Annual Canadian Chess Challenge, our showcase event, scheduled for Ottawa in May 2013. This is the only chess tournament in Canada where each province has equal representation...and the only chess tournament in Canada where every province is represented!

We would like to host the North American Youth Championship in Toronto in 2013 but nothing has been confirmed. Dates are a problem. This event was hosted in Canada for the first time ever in 2010...by the CMA!

A former executive member of the CMA board (Mr Aronowitcz...now living in Rome) had a project to award top CMA youngsters performers, which we put on the back burner...but I think we should make it happen in 2013.

We also use to host and sponsor CMA Futurities...which we have not done for some time...should we bring those back?

In otherwords...if you were in the place of the CMA executive...how would you re-invest CMA dollars (generated by our many faithful customers!) into the Canadian Chess Community?

If you had $20,000 to spend on chess in Canada with a youth focus...what would you do with that money? This is $20,000 to be spent in 2013.

You can send me an e-mail if you would not rather see your reply here...send it to bevand@chess-math.org

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

If I had $20,000 to spend on youth chess, I'd pick out 5 promising juniors - strong FM-ish level - and get them some 1 on 1 top quality training, then throw them into some kind of IM futurity type event.

Not sure about the overall cost though, might have to scale back the playing level slightly to afford the other 5 players for the RR.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

If I had $20,000 to spend on youth chess, I'd pick out 5 promising juniors - strong FM-ish level - and get them some 1 on 1 top quality training, then throw them into some kind of IM futurity type event.

Not sure about the overall cost though, might have to scale back the playing level slightly to afford the other 5 players for the RR.

Thanks for your feedback Chris!

I think we can work in that direction...

Obviously, any youngster that we would choose, would have to be an active CMA participant.

Any other suggestions from anyone else?

Larry

[Christopher Mallon]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Here's another idea: take a team to the U-16 Olympiad.

[Felix Dumont]

Re : Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Thanks for your feedback Chris!

I think we can work in that direction...

Obviously, any youngster that we would choose, would have to be an active CMA participant.

Any other suggestions from anyone else?

Larry

I think that supporting strong players might be a good idea. For instance, I don't know if IM Wang has a coach, but if not, it might be good to help him get one (why not a strong Canadian player like GM Sambuev?).

Also, some chess projects might need some financial help. Team-Quebec had a lot of success last year, so maybe some other provinces would be willing to have similar teams? That would surely promote chess among youngsters. Obviously, it might be good to sponsor/organize some tournaments. I really enjoyed the 2010 NAYCC, and I'm pretty sure that organizing it in Canada again would give a great opportunity to many kids.

Finally, maybe it would be good to try to reach some new regions. For instance, in Quebec, most CMA tournaments are located in the region of Montreal. Unfortunately, some cities, like Quebec City, do not have any young chess players. Using some money to promote chess in schools could have an enormous impact on chess in those regions and might even bring some extra revenues in the future.

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: Re : Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb

I think that supporting strong players might be a good idea. For instance, I don't know if IM Wang has a coach, but if not, it might be good to help him get one (why not a strong Canadian player like GM Sambuev?).

Also, some chess projects might need some financial help. Team-Quebec had a lot of success last year, so maybe some other provinces would be willing to have similar teams? That would surely promote chess among youngsters. Obviously, it might be good to sponsor/organize some tournaments. I really enjoyed the 2010 NAYCC, and I'm pretty sure that organizing it in Canada again would give a great opportunity to many kids.

Finally, maybe it would be good to try to reach some new regions. For instance, in Quebec, most CMA tournaments are located in the region of Montreal. Unfortunately, some cities, like Quebec City, do not have any young chess players. Using some money to promote chess in schools could have an enormous impact on chess in those regions and might even bring some extra revenues in the future.

I am not even sure that you need to spend much money to promote chess in schools. Both parents and children are quite interested as soon as they are introduced to the idea. Throw a half dozen chess kids into a school and in no time you have a dozen chess kids and then twenty chess kids in a geometric growth pattern. In Windsor, a group called Mad Science is starting to teach chess in the schools after school. Apparently its a Montreal based franchise that is mostly North American but also has franchisees around the world.

http://sandiego.madscience.org/schoolhousechess.aspx
http://mn.madscience.org/schoolhousechess.aspx
http://mn.madscience.org/lessondescriptions.aspx

The lesson descriptions of one through eight seem to point to a very slow build up. I would cover most of that in one or at the most two half hour classes, though I might not be as entertaining doing it. We also tend to have at least an hour and a half or two hours of chess play in addition to the half hour lecture.

I understand that they have signed up quite a few Windsor kids with some of the classes having as many as 20 kids. The CMA and the CFC had better get to work. There are others who have designs on our chess kids....

[Brad Thomson]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Give me $20,000 and I will find a lot of schools in Ottawa where the principal has told me that he or she would love to offer chess but that the area is less affluent and the parents cannot afford it. These are the kids who should benefit from the success of the organization in my view. Kids who are not in a position to receive chess lessons in school otherwise. These are the kids that need our help the most, NOT the kids who are already excellent players. We have given these kids the start they need already. So help the ones not in a position to be exposed to the benefits of chess otherwise.

Not as glamorous I admit, but since when have you or I been described by this word? :)

[Vlad Drkulec]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Windsor is one of the more economically challenged communities in Canada and the chess interest is very high. Chess is actually less expensive than most other activities that the children are involved in. Most parents can afford a reasonably priced chess class. Its actually much cheaper than daycare. For families that can't afford paid classes you can offer a free children's chess club through a local library.

[Kerry Liles]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Give me $20,000 and I will find a lot of schools in Ottawa where the principal has told me that he or she would love to offer chess but that the area is less affluent and the parents cannot afford it. These are the kids who should benefit from the success of the organization in my view. Kids who are not in a position to receive chess lessons in school otherwise. These are the kids that need our help the most, NOT the kids who are already excellent players. We have given these kids the start they need already. So help the ones not in a position to be exposed to the benefits of chess otherwise.

Not as glamorous I admit, but since when have you or I been described by this word? :)

$20K would provide a LOT of sets and some intro lessons to the schools that Brad indicated have some interest. Sometimes all one needs is a *little* assistance. Spending all that on a select few seems a poor use of money to me... but it is your (CMA) money.

[Andrei Botez]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Extend CMA in Western Canada. Open a CMA store/center in Vancouver.

[Larry Bevand]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Extend CMA in Western Canada. Open a CMA store/center in Vancouver.

Hi Andrei,

If we get the support of the "Vancouver Chess Mafia" then I would certainly be interested.

Larry

[Andrei Botez]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Hi Andrei,

If we get the support of the "Vancouver Chess Mafia" then I would certainly be interested.

Larry

You mentioned that before, I found that funny that time. Now you mentioning again and I start thinking that you are not kidding. Since my kids started playing chess in BC, I did not see or encounter anything regarding such thing as "VCM".

Just open a location, hire some local talent and start organizing CMA tournaments. Nice playing conditions, attractive trophies and dedicated chess teachers....that is all it takes. (Not that you don't know about that already)

[Bindi Cheng]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

Graduate stronger players out of the CMA chess curriculum.

I have no stats to back this up but what I find is that lots of kids who strictly play CMA events against other kids are just really bad. They might win a bunch of trophies but when you put them in an actual tournament most of them don't do as well.

This isn't meant as a slight or anything, but I think the main reason lies behind the lesson plan taught at CMA affiliated schools and such and just teaching group lessons to kids in general. I understand the business aspect of taking it slow and making it fun and making lots of money but I cringe whenever I hear stuff being taught in 5 lessons that I could cover in half an hour. I know there's lots of kids but wouldn't it be possible to come up with something other than 10 tactics puzzles a week featuring mate in twos that should take 10 minutes to complete? Maybe get them to play actual blitz chess and have lots of practical experience; that's how I got better.

Meh, I just find it irritating to know that there's plenty of kids being exposed to chess but so few are actually any good.

[Roger Patterson]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

You mentioned that before, I found that funny that time. Now you mentioning again and I start thinking that you are not kidding. Since my kids started playing chess in BC, I did not see or encounter anything regarding such thing as "VCM".

Just open a location, hire some local talent and start organizing CMA tournaments. Nice playing conditions, attractive trophies and dedicated chess teachers....that is all it takes. (Not that you don't know about that already)

Larry knows of what he speaks.

[Liam Henry]

Re: I have a meeting of the Chess'n Math Association (CMA) executive on Feb 13

I would develop the CMA teaching program past the Advanced level.

Talented kids who get to the Advanced level are able to do well at CMA tournaments as Bindi said, but then they reach a stumbling block once they play adult tournaments, or the Canadian Chess Challenge.

I believe the reason for this is there is no program designed to take kids from 1200 ELO to A-Class Players. I understand that this would represent a few percent of the total kids who take CMA classes and play in CMA tournaments, but something has to be done to improve the CMA kids who get stuck between 1000-1500 ELO.

Some might say to just have those kids take private lessons, but not every parent can afford private lessons, and as a result some talented kids are deprived the ability to become really strong chess players.