Senior instructor to lead advanced classes this fall!
3x CT Champion and CT Chess Hall of Fame inductee Gary Shure will lead our advanced Saturday morning classes this fall!
Gary is a US Chess National Master with a peak rating over 2350. Known for his tactical clarity, strategic depth, and passion for positional play, he brings a practical approach to instruction that helps players refine their calculation and decision-making at the board. He will also be available for private coaching after classes.
We will be launching a new and improved website with full details in early September, and class registration will open then. Stay tuned for more announcements soon!
About Us
The Way of the Board chess club has weekly club meetings for players across 4 skill levels to learn chess and play the game, and is a program offered by the Way of the Sword Fencing, Archery, and Chess Club. The club has a tournament several times a year on weekends for scholastic and adult players. Private lessons available on weekends and weekday afternoons to help players elevate their gameplay. For the beginner and intermediate classes, players are required to solve at least 2-3 chess puzzles daily. Workbooks are suggested for each class and are available for purchase online or at the club.
Enrollment
Afterschool Chess Tournament & Fundraiser
Our club offer nearby schools an afterschool chess tournament that welcomes both competitive players competing for prizes and casual students enjoying the game — all while helping schools raise funds.
FAQs
Club dues are $80/month for the beginner and intermediate programs taught by coach Terry Kim, and $100/month for the advanced and competitive programs taught by NM Gary Shure. Fees ensure the ongoing development and operations of the club. First visit to our club is free!
Currently we have advanced players (Rooks) in grades 3 to 9 who are actively learning and participating in our weekly club meetings. Intermediate players (Knights) range from grades 2 to 9. The beginner Pawns class is open to players in grades 2 - 6. Age is just one of many factors to be considered when deciding when is the right time to begin learning the game; others include a kid's interest, whether there are other chess players in the family, etc. Players are expected to spend some time every week independently solving chess puzzles/reading as self-learning is an important component of the game.
If a club player is having difficulty participating in group discussions and lessons, private lessons are recommended. Private lessons are also helpful for a player to receive feedback on their game play and explore intermediate tactics and strategies, as most young chess players (and adult beginners) cannot self-analyze their games effectively.
Adult improvers with US Chess rating 900~ are welcome to register for the competitive class Saturdays 10:30 - 11:45 AM. Please subscribe to newsletter or follow club Facebook page for future adult programming.
Currently no weekday afternoon or evening classes at the club are offered.
Visit our club Facebook page and like the page to be notified. Updates are posted regularly, and should give parents a better sense of what happens at our meetings. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out more about upcoming tournaments, the club chess classes, and other activities.
Location
(Next to the Ridgefield Thrift Shop)
Class Times
Club opens September 12th.
Beginner - Saturdays 9:30 - 10:45 AM Intermediate - Saturdays 10:45 - 12:00 PM Advanced - Saturdays 12:00 - 1:15 PM
Competitive - Saturdays 10:30 - 11:45 AM