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Chess Lessons and Chess Club

Chess Levels and Curriculum

  • L0. Beginners (Rating 0 - 200)

Students learn chess from the very beginning. This class teaches students all of the basic rules needed to play a full game of chess. Students learn how all the chess pieces move, castling, basics in attacking and defending, checks, checkmates, the value of pieces, and chess notation.​

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  • L1. Novice (Rating 200 - 400)

Students learn the basic principles of chess, basic checkmates, stalemates, mating with a few pieces, introduction to openings, attacking and defending pieces.  ​

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  • L2. Novice Plus (Rating 400 - 600)

Students emphasizes the basic principles of chess, learn basic checkmate patterns, basic openings, introduction to chess tactics, solving mate in 1 puzzles.

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  • L3. Novice Star (Rating 600 - 800)

Students emphasizes the basic principles of chess, discover more basic checkmate patterns, basic openings, chess tactics, and solve mate in 1 puzzles.

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  • L4. Challenger (Rating 800 - 1000)

Students learn chess fundamentals, greatly emphasizes the study of various chess tactical motifs. We expand the students knowledge of the King's pawn (e4) openings and attacking chess, simple endgames.​

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  • L5. Challenger Plus (Rating 1000 - 1200)

Students expand on chess fundamentals, greatly emphasizes the study of various chess tactical motifs. Introduction to planning and chess combinations. We expand the students knowledge of the King's pawn (e4) openings and attacking chess, simple endgames.

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  • L6. Intermediate (Rating 1200 - 1300)

Students master the chess fundamentals. Emphasizes the study of middlegame strategies, and covers basic endgame theory.​ Expands on planning and chess combinations. Students expand their knowledge of popular King's pawn (e4) openings and continue working through tactical exercises.

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  • L7. Tournament Prep (Rating 1300 - 1400)

This level is for students that consistently play in USCF rated tournaments. We further extend the knowledge of the openings, learning Queen's pawn (d4) openings and more advanced opening theory. Big emphasis on middlegame strategies and endgame theory. 

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  • L8. Advanced (Rating 1400+)

This level is for students that consistently play in USCF rated tournaments. We further extend the knowledge of the openings, learning Queen's pawn (d4) openings and more advanced opening theory. Big emphasis on middlegame strategies and endgame theory. 

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Wizards of the Mind
Chess Club
is an affiliate of the US Chess Federation 

Wizards of the Mind Chess Club was founded in 2001. Over the years, we have had thousands of children come through our chess school. Many of our children became highly rated USCF players and participated in various domestic and international competitions including Nationals, World Championships and Pan-Am Olympiads. Every year students from our chess club participate in the New Jersey State Championships achieving excellent results.  

Our Chess Classes are held on Saturdays. Please check our schedule for an exact time. 

Ayan Dalmia - 1st place in Central Jersey Chess Tournament. Feb 17th, 2018

Our recent achievements

 

June 19, 2022 - Raben Goel won 2nd place (Silver medal) at the FIDE School Chess Championship, an international tournament played in Panama City, Panama with over 37 countries and 400+ participants

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March 13, 2022 - Raben Goel won 1st place at the NY State Chess Championship K-5 (U600) in Saratoga Springs, NY

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February 17th, 2018 - Ayan Dalmia won 1st place at Central Jersey Chess Tournament in Princeton winning 4 out of 4 games in U600 section

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December  2016 - Gregory Gentile won 1st Place Trophy at PS6 Chess Tournament in NYC

Aanav Shah got 1st Place at the tournament in Princeton, NJ  

2016, Nov 20th - NJ State Chess K-12 Grade Championship in Lincroft, NJ:

 

WizKids Academy Team earned 1st Place Team Championship trophy.

In individual placement Ryan and Florina Zhu, Denis and Lev Koganov, Ben, Davin and 
Ethan Murkis, Aanav Shah all got top trophies. We are proud of our players  - Great 
performance in this tough tournament. 

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Wizards of the Mind Tournaments

Our club runs very popular USCF rated chess tournaments that attract kids from all parts of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Please see the Wizards of the Mind tournament history on the US Chess Federation website. Please see our tournament page.

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