After School Chess
at the Gardiner chess centre

Students arrive at the centre soon after school finishes on a designated day or days from Tuesday to Friday. They receive a mix of coaching, puzzles and tournament chess, the results of which are sent away to the ratings officer for rating*. On Mondays we have a special session, along the same lines as on other days, but only for the girls - they like to learn their skills in chess away from the boys!

Also on Mondays we have a Junior Masters programme. This is for players who have reached a rating of 800 and is specifically designed to prepare them for championship level chess. They only play one game during the evening and then the two players have their game analysed by senior coaches. This has had the affect of raising the standards of junior chess considerably.

*The Queensland Junior Ratings List, which is an indication of playing strength in relation to around 2,000 other junior chess players in Queensland, is probably the single greatest motivating factor for children playing chess. Check the latest ratings information here.