Details are below:

This event will be on Saturday April 14th starting at 9am.

Entries may be placed by post or online by visiting http://smartdolphins.net/chess-day/

The [...]]]> Our 4th Chess Day event is coming up in just under two weeks and we are happy to invite you all to attend our great event again!

Details are below:

This event will be on Saturday April 14th starting at 9am.

Entries may be placed by post or online by visiting http://smartdolphins.net/chess-day/

The event will have lessons formulated for FAST improvement by SDC Senior Coach Ron Scott (2303 Rating) and anybody attending these lessons will benefit greatly and improve their chess level fast!

Enter ASAP as there are only days to go!

Entry forms are HERE!

I have finally done the new rating list! There have been some huge changes and improvers and I will publish the FULL list soon.

For now, I will just tease you with the new Top 20 list!

Well done to the talented improvers!

FULL List coming soon! Stay Tuned.

With all the old and great activities (Lessons, Puzzle Solving Tournament, Sausage Sizzle), plus a visit from a Chess Master!

This event promises to be another great day for kids to improve their chess ,make [...]]]> Thats right! We’re sorry for the delay in releasing this news, but Chess Day 3 is almost here!

With all the old and great activities (Lessons, Puzzle Solving Tournament, Sausage Sizzle), plus a visit from a Chess Master!

This event promises to be another great day for kids to improve their chess ,make friends and have a great time, so we hope you can make it!

We have also made it possible to enter via the website by going up to “Online payments” in the nav menu…

This will simplify the process for many parents!

If for some reason, you cannot enter online…You may easily download the entry form from here.

I’ll leave you guys with some great pics from the previous ChessDay… See you all soon!

This is our attempt to breath some life and innovation into the scene and to create a sense of excitement as each match approaches.

Each match will be a series of 12 games of blitz chess [...]]]> Each month, Smart Dolphins Chess will be sponsoring an online blitz match between two known chess players from the Aussie Chess Scene.

This is our attempt to breath some life and innovation into the scene and to create a sense of excitement as each match approaches.

Each match will be a series of 12 games of blitz chess played at a time control of 3 2 (3 minutes with 2 seconds added after each move).

Games are hosted on the playing server chess.com and can be viewed by anybody for free!

The winner of a match nets a $50 prize, while the loser gains…valuable experience.

Match number 1 was held last night (19th Nov 2011) and was between Arthur Huynh (a very experienced and quite strong Sydney player) and Jerry Xu (a Sydney junior who is a long time Smart Dolphins student).

The games were very close, but the score wasn’t,  as experienced Arthur kept cool and used his extra knowledge to bring him to a crushing 9-3 victory over Jerry.

 Overall, it was a very exciting match to watch and we look forward to the next match between different players!

Videos from this match will be posted next week to stay tuned!

In [...]]]> There was a British Press Release on 18 October that Chess for EVERY child in School in Great Brittain was supported by Gary Kasparov when he attended the British House Of Commons at Westminster.
Garry Kasparov ,many acknowledge as the Greatest living player, joined the British Chess in Schools and Communities movement .

In just 3 months 3000 children were taught Chess in 12 months . The target is to re-introduce Chess into 1000 schools over 6 years.

Numerous research studies have shown the positive impact chess has on students’ academic performance, especially in maths, reading and attendance levels. Chess is a universal game and brings children of different ages, races and genders together in an activity they can all enjoy.

Chess can also teach children valuable life lessons such as sportsmanship – how to win graciously, accept defeat, learn from it and persevere. (excerpt from an article http://www.rachelreeves.net)

So young Dolphins, you are at the forefront of a movement gathering momentum worldwide. The world is your Oyster. Well, if the British Parliament can get Grandmasters Gary Kasparov and Grandmaster Nigel Short to the table, the least I can do is visit my readers at your Smart Dolphins Chess Academy.

To this end I will be talking to my good friend Brendan Norman and arrange a visit where I can come say Hi to my young chess friends.

This week our featured ‘Smart Dolphin’ Player is BrendanX .

The Chess Opening is The Four Knights game -Italian Variation.

[White "BrendanX"]
[Black "LimbankBonekMarley"]
[WhiteElo "1218"]
[BlackElo "1319"]
[TimeControl "15|10"]
[Termination "BrendanX won by checkmate"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Nc3 d6 5. d3

Nf6

The position is Symmetrical up to this point in time.
Both players have followed all the basic rules of Chess. Develop knights before Bishops.Knights go on the Bishops three square. Neither player has committed attack to the opponents other half of the board past the fourth rank until ‘Fully Developed’.

6. Bg5

Hold on a minute! White has trespassed onto Blacks side of the board. Black should ask himself or herself, ” Is my opponent threatening a nasty check? material? or a strong followup I cant handle if I castle into supposed safety?

O-O Black did not ask himself these questions listed above.

7. Nd5

After this move Black is ‘positionally lost. Blacks KIngside is untenable and White, importantly, can choose to Castle either side of the board making his King a harder target.

h6 Terrible move but Black has no plan here.

8. Bxf6 (I would play 8.NF6 followed by 9.Bxh6, A juicy pawn and a shattered Black King. What more can you ask for?)

gxf6

9. Nh4

Our featured Dolphin has ‘correctly identified’ the holes on the White Squares on G6 and F5 surrounding the broken battlement of Blacks castled position.

Nb4 Important Chess Rule-Try not to move the same piece twice in the opening if you can avoid. There are a few exceptions such as the retained white bishop in The Ruy Lopez.

10. Nxb4 Bxb4+ 11. c3 Bc5 12. Qf3

a6 This reminds me of the old saying that the Emperor Nero of Rome ‘fiddled’ whilst his magnificent city of Rome Burned. Surely any move was better than a6

13. Qg3+ Kh7 Black would have played K-H8 had he seen this Thunderbolt coming!!

14. Bxf7!!

f5 We can only draw the conclusion Black was Shattered and still thinking “How could my solid symmetrical game from move 6 have been decisively obliterated just 8 moves later when I castled into safety???

15. Qg6+ Kh8 16. Qxh6#

1-0

Any Dolphin would be proud of this short Masterpiece!

The Wizard of Oz movie (1939) is a cinematic classic full of vitality which has been adored by both children and adults for decades. It features an adorable little girl Dorothy on her epic journey/adventure along her imaginary Yellow Brick Road, with her friends, Lion and Tinman and Scarecrow.   www.youtube.com/watch?v=THbY7EL8k5w (46seconds) , for [...]]]>  

The Wizard of Oz movie (1939) is a cinematic classic full of vitality which has been adored by both children and adults for decades. It features an adorable little girl Dorothy on her epic journey/adventure along her imaginary Yellow Brick Road, with her friends, Lion and Tinman and Scarecrow.   www.youtube.com/watch?v=THbY7EL8k5w (46seconds) , for those that have not seen it.

It was this image that came to me as I sat here at my computer and recalled my own Chess experiences as a young child/teenager. How I did, and how I envisage our Dolphins young inquiring Chessminds might be open to all type of extra-sensory experiences as you devour information, which can, at times, supercharge, exhilarate and fascinate you as you lay the building blocks of your chess future.

In Chess we are most successfull if we ‘stick to the tried and tested ‘mainlines’ on our own personal developmental journey. You ‘could’ call the Chessmainlines your own Yellow Brick Road. It was important for Dorothy to stay on the Yellow Brick Road as she sung and danced her way towards achieving her own personal goals.

Yellow Bricks are another name for Gold Bullion Bars , hence one hidden message is that if you are focused and stay on track (on your own Yellow Brick Road) success wealth and personal happiness are more likely to be achievable in Chess and more importantly in life!

Chess is such a wonderful activity and I can give you my personal guarantee that if you choose to continue to enjoy and play chess, you will meet some wonderful friends to take with you as you grow and learn.

Which of you young Dolphins has experienced (for the first time) walking into the Tournament Hall of an Australian Masters Championship? What an absolute delight. Your eyes want to be in every place at the same time. Personally, I am still thrilled to bits, yes exhilarated, every time I experience it. I cannot wait to walk in and watch the next Australian Championship that comes to Sydney! All part of that journey Dolphins.

So much fun, walking into your first Chess Club, playing in your first tournament, playing chess online.

What about all the great Chess variants that you can play? Im sure your Dolphins Chess Coach has introduced you to, to name a few, Chess Problems,Transfer Chess (Replacement Chess), Progressive Chess and one of my favourites Kriegspiel.

Are we stepping off our Yellow Brick Road with these distractions? Well, in short, the answer is a firm no. Having Chess Fun, whether it be a little Chess Blitz (Lightning Chess) or similar activity is actually very beneficial to your improvement. Don’t you find learning easier if you are learning something you like to do?

This week I had a young American Airforce engineer in Afghanistan asking for Chess Lessons so he can learn to be a ChessMaster. He had asked for lessons In between time keeping the Planes in the air. As he was unable to take up his second lesson yesterday, I analysed his game for him which Id like to dedicate to all our young Australian men serving our country in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Remember he is only a beginner , it was a 10 minute game and the loss was on time.

[White "DAllen2835"]

[Black "J-Luck"]-STUDENT ALIAS (for security reasons)

[Result "1-0"]

[TimeControl "5|10"]

[Termination "DAllen2835 won by resignation"]

{ White “DAllen2835-  Black: J-Luck         Score: 1-0 not reflective of opportunities or ability }

1.Nf3 { NF3 is a great First move for White.

White has influence on central squares D4 and E5 and can Fianchetto the Kings bishop or proceed with say D4 or even E4 depending on Blacks reply. }

1…c5 { The Sicillian type idea here is to exchange a c-pawn for a d-pawn if say D4 is played. }

2.d4 { I personally dont like to make it easy for Black and might have played C4 or G3. Hes helping you here so yu have The Luck Mr Luck!!! }

2…Nc6 { CXD was correct eliminating a white centrepawn so there can be no pawn storm later. }

3.dxc5 { I preferred D5 for white attacking the black knight on C6 gaining time to develop and Spacial Advantage. }

3…Nf6 { Another choice was Q-A5check and QXC5

The ‘Benefit’ of NF6 is preventing E4 and developing a minor piece. However you well positioned as black to recapture the C5pawn. }

4.Nc3 { Good move white.Prepares/threatens to play E4! }

4…e5

{ 10/10 If you recapture the Cpawn and your opponent is passive you can dominate the centre quickly with D5 }

 5.h3 { H3 is very passive. It prevents nothing and now Black has a great lead in development and Space Control of The Centre }

 5…Bxc5 { 10/10 }

 6.e3 d5

{ 10/10 John }

7.Bd2 { Simply Dreadful-Its like putting a hangmans noose around your head thinking its a bracelet. Lots of Beginners do this type of move thinking they are Activating a piece,but the bishop was just as effective on C1 and Blocks the white queen control of D3 and D4 }

7…Bf5 { 10/10

Now I know you could be a Master!

You have a Classical development position.

Now lets see what you do with it. }

 8.Na4 { In Chess the rule is “NEVER put your knight on the side of the board” (unless there is a real benefit. }

 8…Ne4

{ NE4 is Wrong here. You allow your opponents Bad knight move to be good after capturing you powerful bishop on C5!

B-D6 for Black made the white knight look simply stupid. }

9.Qe2 { White goes from Bad move to Very Bad! The white queen blocks the bishop on F1

Desperate, white hopes to 0-0-0 but that idea is faulty long term agains a seasoned chessplayer }

9…Nxd2 { You have made 3 moves with this knight to capture the BAD white bishop on D2. Simply put, you cannot afford such loss of time and tempos in chess }

10.Qxd2 Bd6 { Better was B-B4! } ( 10…Bb4 11.Nc3 d4 12.exd4 exd4 )

11.Qxd5 { White Blunders. If Black plays B-B4 check the white Queen is Lost!

Chess Rule-”EXAMINE ALL CHECKS AND CAPTURES” }

11…Be6

{ If Black plays B-B4 check the white Queen is Lost! }

 12.Qe4 f5 { 10/10 Black turns up the heat on the Queen }

 13.Qd3 { This loses a piece to PAWN FORK 13…E4 }

 13…O-O { Missed E4 wins } ( 13…e4 )

 14.O-O-O { Wonderful Move White attacking the bishop on D6 }

 14…g6 { THis g6 move is Teriible. Its like putting your head in the sand

and hoping noone will notice your body sticking out. You must address the threat of Q X D6 .

Black was clearly winning after 14….be7

 15.Ng5 Bxa2 { Wrong! Again the CHESS RULE-”Examine all Captures” would reveal Q X G5 is great! } ( 15…Qxg5 )

 16.Nf3 { QXD6 was better } 16…e4 ( 16…Be7 )

 17.Qb5 { Again QXD6 was better }

 17…exf3

 18.gxf3 a6 { Not a Bad move Grasshopper though I preferred QE7 getting off the pin on the D-File. QE7 also defended the pawn on B7 } ( 18…Qe7 )

 19.Qxb7 Rc8

20.Nc3

Nb4

{ I like the idea behind this N-B4 move! However-tactics alert ..Qx b4 wins.. }

 21.Nxa2 { Look at this qxb4 variation 21.Qxb4 Bxb4 22.Rxd8 Rfxd8 23.Nxa2 )

 21…Nxa2+ 22.Kb1 Nb4

 23.Bc4+ { B-C4 Check? CHESS RULE Examine all CHECKS AND CAPTURES it reveals Rc8XC4 wins!! }

 23…Nd5 ( 23…Rxc4 )

 24.Qxd5+ { Correct play White! }

 24…Kg7 { Now QXD6 is good but Ba6 is good too! }

 25.Qd4+ Rf6 { Now Black ‘HOLD” his position. White missed opportunities as described earlier }

 26.Qh4

Bb4

{ Oh No leaving the Queen to be taken! Time Trouble no doubt!

Black Played some very good annd sound ideas in the opening but needs to Refine and hone his skills to move up the Chess ladder..TECHNIQUE!

FM John Curtis }

1-0

Firstly, let me say that I was a late starter at 16yrs old when I was learning a few of the finer points of chess over 40 years ago. I always sought a mentor to help [...]]]> Greetings Dolphins, and a special cheerio to Stephanie Liang whose splendid game I chose to feature in todays’ article.

Firstly, let me say that I was a late starter at 16yrs old when I was learning a few of the finer points of chess over 40 years ago. I always sought a mentor to help guide me through the misty quicksand- riddled swampland that others encountered as the competitive adult Sydney tournament chess scene I chose to play in.

There is no doubt playing and analyzing with stronger players is a great improvement tool

(provided this does not dampen your confidence and resolve to improve).

To any Dolphin, lacking personal confidence  that has just commenced his or her chess journey let me give you a brief example of why there is hope. I used to get a queen and two castles start from Old Cid who still frequents the (almost life size) Council Chess Set at Museum Railway Station in Sydney City.

You certainly do well if you adopt your Smart Dolphins Coach as your mentor/guide.

Remember a mentor could be another player that gives you the smallest piece of good advice that reinforces your personal chess armaments, such as caution, observation or chess preparation.

It was famed Australian Chess Olympics Captain Peter Parr that once told me “You are a fine attacking player, but must learn to sit on your hands at the tournament board before making a move.” Yes I was rash and reckless, took the advice and improved hundreds of rating points by thinking first before moving my pieces.

It was Australian Champion Fred Flatow that told me “John, all you need to do is think about your move with utmost care, select ‘the best move’ and you will always win.” Later I understood what Fred meant. He was saying Chess does not come easy but you must think long and hard to achieve success culminating in consistent’ better results…

It was International Master Robert Jamieson that that told me (or the player behind me), jokingly, “You must always look after your ‘Little People’” referring to the Chess Men in my  army. I thought that was a wonderful analogy and adopted that mindset that I was ‘ personally accountable’ for all the community in my white or black “realm.

This is an instructional game for anyone new to chess on how, if you follow the fundamental rules of chess, you can be very competitive and eventually be an accomplished player .

This was a 10 minute ‘Live’ Chess.com game and although Stephanie may have Lost on Time , she can consider herself a winner in my eyes.

[White "houseurmonkey"]
[Black "Stephanie Liang"]
[Result "1-0"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 f6

{…f6 deprives Black of the option of playing the Knight to

f6 and allows white to play dxe with a big advantage.}

3. d5  {As discussed 3. dxe5 was correct. d5 does gain space for white but has

drawbacks in that Bc4 would no longer control a nice diagonal for white} )
3… Bc5

{Stephanie correctly identifies her Bishop on f8 is on same color

as her Kingside pawns, she wants to develop her pieces and makes a powerful
move 10/10}

4. Nc3 Ne7 5. Nf3 d6 6. a3 {The idea of a3 was to play b4 and
Knight to A4 ridding white of the pesky black bishop. It is faulty because the
plan is too long and costs time and development which can be fatal in chess}
6… f5

{Black gets a big 10 for chess ideas here. Black gets a semi-open

f-file to activate her castle and counterattacks the white centre}

7. b4 Bb6
8. Bd3 Nd7 {Black has certainly played exceptionally well after her poor start
with F6 and continues to develop as rapidly as possible}  9. exf5 Nf6

10. Bb5+?

{One chess rule is try not to move the same piece twice in the opening. Of

course there are exceptions but I don’t think this is one of them.}
10… c6 11. dxc6 bxc6 12. Bd3 Bxf5 13. Bxf5 Nxf5 14. Bg5 O-O

15. Ne4

{White, fearful of a possible impending pawn storm pressing through the centre
tries to unnerve black with the pin}

15… Qe7 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. g4 Ng7?!
(17… d5 {looked a better option with a counterattack as white can play
Qxd6}  18. gxf5 dxe4  )

18. Nxd6??

{Call a Doctor Black has a terminal

illness a whole piece down after Stephanie’s reply}  (18. Qxd6 is better)

18… Rad8 19. O-O Rxd6 20. Qe2

Ne6!

{Top move Stephanie! 10/10 with a view to

N-d4 and  wins}

21. Rad1 e4

{No doubt this is just time trouble. These types

of games are great for preparation for crossboard confrontations in serious
tournament games.}  (21… Nf4 and black is winning ) 22. Rxd6 Qxd6 23. Qxe4 Ng5 24. Nxg5 fxg5
25. Qc4+ Kh8 26. Qc3+ Bd4 27. Qd3 Rf4 28. h3 h5 29. gxh5 Rh4 30. Kg2 Qd5+ 31.
f3 1-0 (Stephanie lost time on time in this winning position)

Thank you for joining me Dolphins.

FM John Curtis 

They used to call me Killer Curtis but thats another story!

Above: Giving a simultaneous exhibition

Let me talk about you, the Dolphins, and where ‘you’ stand in your love of Chess and your Chess ‘journey’ in this, a world of so much upheaval and technological innovation and [...]]]> Hi, My name is FIDE Master John Curtis.

They used to call me Killer Curtis but thats another story!

Above: Giving a simultaneous exhibition

Let me talk about you, the Dolphins, and where ‘you’ stand in your love of Chess and your Chess ‘journey’ in this, a world of so much upheaval and technological innovation and change.

Dolphins, you are on the ‘cutting edge’ of personal development in Chess and Life. Let me explain. Some of this you may know, however its nice to have confirmation of it.

Russians dominated Chess for many decades. Why? Simply because they had Chess Schools (like Smart Dolphins Chess) and professional chess tutors for juniors coming through the ranks.

Interestingly,it was also discovered that the discipline required to learn chess and improve was beneficial to a young persons development of their ‘academic prowess’ contributing in a small but significant part to success in their chosen career paths.

Students, a very important rule in life is Love Chess however your education comes first!

A Cutting Edge Chess School will develop ChessMasters as sure as early Tennis Academies here brought Australia WorldClass Tennis players against the odds despite our population being tiny.

Dolphins, the wonderful thing is if you truly LOVE your chess this is not hard work, it comes naturally, you like putting the effor in.

When I was a young teenager playing Chess I would have done ‘anything’ to have a Chess Mentor and was mostly self taught.

I would play through 2 GrandMaster Games every night of my life for more than twenty years trying to work out why they played each and every move.

Dolphins, I do have some advice… Never be intimidated by your opponent’s reputation, whether it be a fellow club member or if you are playing an International Master or a Grandmaster! I personally love the challenge of playing any better player just to see how far I can push them so I can reach my own personal satisfaction level for ‘my’ performance,win lose or draw.

Below is a win I managed against Australia’s first ever Grandmaster, Ian Rogers.

Some young players may even get upset or cry if they lose.

My advice is never give up. Learn and come back stronger each and every time. It is an old Cliche Dolphins,

Reach for the “Stars” and if you land on the moon you did a fantastic job you can be personally proud of!

See you at the tables Dolphins!

FIDE Master John Curtis

Senior Coaches: Ronald Scott and Myself

Hornsby Junior Chess Club, and as expected the day was fantastic!

Senior Coaches: Ronald Scott and Myself

As with the first “ChessDay”, we began Chess Day 2 with some social games and then we had a group talk and the first lecture, given by SDC Senior Coach Ronald Scott on Endgame Technique.  Ron spoke about keeping your opponent’s pieces tied up while your own active and showed a great game by second World Champion Emmanual Lasker against American GM Frank Marshall.

The lecture was very instructive and students asked very intelligent questions about the plans and ideas in the game.

After this lecture students were much more knowledgeable about what to do when pieces “leave the board” and this was shown clearly later on in the tournament section of the day when I witnessed some very nice endgame play.

After the first lecture, we had a question and answer session where children could raise their hand and ask ANY chess question they like, to be answered by Ron or I.

We had questions from all range of players from “How does en passant work?” to “What should black do in the French against 3.Nd2″ and it was a pleasure to answer these questions and enlighten our young pupils.

Once all the questions had been exhausted, it was time for the tactical test, but this time we had a new idea!

Instead of the grueling individual exam-style tactical test from “Chess Day 1″, we decided to make it more fun (fun IS the idea of ChessDay!) and we delegated captains before creating a team competition where teams would solve tactical problems together…this was MUCH more popular!

Delegation of Captains

The tactics  competition was very lively and fun with the scores remaining very close until Louis Long’s team eventually won in the end (He is just TOO sharp! ).

Once our tired tacticians finished this competition, it was time for something more light.

I introduced Smart Dolphins Chess top  pupil Jerry Xu who played against all comers in a simultaneous exhibition, playing 15 games at once, while those not wanting to challenge Jerry could playing a supervised game online (our our HUGE projector screen) with the guidance of Senior Coach Ron!

  SDC leading pupil Jerry Xu takes on 15 opponents! 

While others played online (Students call out moves, Ron controls mouse)

Young Swara Tapaswi missed a combination which would have beaten Jerry and went on to lose

The final result for Jerry was 11 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses…not too bad at all against a field of strong kids!

Following this enjoyable period was our lunch break in which children ate their fill of sausage sizzles (or vegetarian sausages for those who don’t eat meat), thus replenishing their energy before the main event….the tournament!

Eating and Socializing: “Did you beat Jerry?…Nah, me neither!”

Round 1 is Underway with SDC Number1 Leiming Yu as black against  the talented young Stanley Tang, who held Leiming for most of the game before a mistake allowed Leiming to win.

The tournament continued as expected with top seeds winning their games mostly and beautiful chess being played on all boards, even by the younger kids.

I spoke to Ron actually about how I felt that ALL children had lifted their level during this event and we had seen very high level play throughout.

Stanley’s young friends discuss what happened in his game against Leiming

Winner of the last ChessDay, Jonathon Ginn (black) defends a Kings Gambit and gets into very hot water…

…before cooly evacuating his King to the queenside, co-ordinating his pieces and winning! Great defensive effort by Jono!

Louis Long, a very serious contender jokes and has fun during the “fun time”, but is “ice cold” and serious during tournament games…a lesson for learners!

The students seemed to really enjoy the tournament and although some didn’t score well (in a very tough field), they stayed brave and took their lessons calmly.

In the end, it seemed that Jonathon Ginn, Louis Long and Leiming Yu would be fighting for the tournament’s top spot and when Ginn and Long were matched up, it was sure to be a BIG game!

Ginn vs Long: a decisive battle 

In the game between Jonathon Ginn and Louis Long, Jonathon miscalculated a piece sacrifice which he thought was winning, and went into a position where he had lost a piece, but had a pawn and an exposed King to attack.

Louis defended well and entered an endgame which he converted into a win.

With this win and Leiming losing to talented Gaurav Singal, Louis took the clear lead and held it until the end.

Gaurav Singal

Mathew Aung

Besides the leading players of the tournament, ChessDay 2 had many talented players attending and in fact, I beleive that ALL of the players who came are talented, but some are simply less experienced than others….it was a real pleasure for us to hold this event.

Stanley wins a tricky endgame 

Approaching the end of Ginn vs Long

Another person I need to mention is Amy Fox, a year 2 girl with enormous passion for chess!

Amy has only been playing chess for a very short time but loves the game devotedly, even telling her mum that when shes changes school soon she will ONLY go to a school which has a chess programme!

Amy had a difficult time in the tournament, having to face a lot of big, experienced “sharks”, but still gave her 100% and tried to “throw everything” at her older, more experienced opponents…this is why she was awarded the “Greatest Effort Award”!.

Well done to Amy!

The leading finals scores in the tournament were:

Louis Long 6.5/7     1st and wins trophy, private coaching voucher and software

Jonathon Ginn 5.5/7                 2nd and wins trophy, and tournament chess set

Leiming Yu 5/7                  3rd  and wins trophy, and tournament chess set

Prizes!

We at Smart Dolphins Chess would like to thank all the parents for bringing their children to our Chess Day, our great helpers Xin and Ping for photography and kitchen duties as well as the children themselves for coming and having a great day, displaying great sportsmanship and giving their all… Thanks a lot guys, the next “Chess Day 3″ will be in the December Holidays (more info on this soon) and we hope you will join us again for an even greater event!

Yes! Thats right! Only days away on September 30th!

Another day of fun chess action in Hornsby where you will improve your chess, make friends and even get a free lunch!

This event is a chance for children of all ages to learn the intellectual game from internationally ranked experts, while making friends [...]]]>

Yes! Thats right! Only days away on September 30th!

Another day of fun chess action in Hornsby where you will improve your chess, make friends and even get a free lunch!

This event is a chance for children of all ages to learn the intellectual game from internationally ranked experts, while making friends and having fun!

Download your entry form from here and get your entry in before the 28th of September.

This time we will have all of the same events mixed with a few surprises also so don’t miss it!

We at Smart Dolphins Chess look forward to seeing you all and remember, your parents can come to watch too and even get a free sausage sizzle!