Online Classes, Events & Tournaments, and Services
| Class Schedule for Adults & Advanced Scholastic players | |
|---|---|
| Day & Time | Class |
| Monday 4:00 - 5:30PM PT | Chess Cafe |
| Monday 6:00 - 7:00PM PT | Modern Chess Openings |
| Monday 6:30 - 8:00PM PT | Game Review Class with FM Paul Whitehead |
| Wednesday 5:00 - 6:00PM PT | Apr 7 - May 26: Free Adult Beginner Class for Mechanics' Members Next course: Jun 9 - Jul 28: Register here |
| Wednesday 6:30 - 8:00PM PT | *UPDATED* Apr 28 - Jun 2: Advanced Attacking Techniques. For players with USCF rating 1800+ |
| Wednesday 7:00 - 8:00PM PT | Mar 31 - Jun 2: Tactics for Developing Players |
| Sunday 10:00AM - 12:00PM PT | Free Women's Class by Sophie Adams |
Classes are 90 minutes long and conducted via zoom meeting. Details ofthe class are sent via email.
If registering for multiple classes, registration can be used anytime within the next 2 months.
1) Mondays 4:00-5:30PM PT --- Chess Cafe
Course Dates: Ongoing
Casual meeting to talk about chess, life and everything. Join 3-time US Champion GM Nick de Firmian and FM Paul Whitehead as they give a lecture and class in a fun casual atmosphere where you can discuss games, learn strategy, discuss chess current events and interact in a fun casual atmosphere. Enter our Monday chess café for the pure love of the game. Class suitable for ALL level of players and FREE for MI members.
FREE for Mechanics' members. $5 for non-members. -- Registration is needed to receive the zoom link.
More information: https://www.milibrary.org/chess/chess-cafe
Register: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2021OnlineClasses/2021ChessCafe
2) Mondays 6:00-7:00PM - Mondern Chess Openings
Course Dates: April 5 - May 10
Taught by MCO Editor and 3-Time US Champion GM Nick de Firmian with FM Paul Whitehead
Modern Chess Openings was a revolutionary text, and it has come back to life as it was featured in The Queen's Gambit. Mechanics' Institute Grandmaster in Residence GM Nick de Firmian was the editor of several editions of that book and now it will come to life as a class!
This will be club players of various strengths and will focus on about 5 key openings. He will cover open game openings that reinforce fundamentals such as piece development, control of the center and king safety, and he will also cover more complex openings that need deeper understanding such as the Sicilian, Queen's Gambit, and Ruy Lopez. The purpose of this class is to gain a better understanding of the ideas behind playing these openings and what to look for. The class will be interactive and engaging. FM Paul Whitehead will also be on to facilitate the class.
The class will be fluid and interaction in the class is encouraged. We hope to enlighten the student on what it means to play openings and hpw they can lay the foundation for the course of the entire game.
3) Mondays 6:30-8PM - Game Review Class with FM Paul Whitehead
Course Dates: Starting Feb 1 & ongoing - Please check in with us to see if the class is being held this week or not!
Celebrate your finest victories, and learn from your worst mistakes! The key to success in chess lies in understanding your own games.
4) Wednesdays 5-PM - Free Adult Beginner Class for Mechanics' Members
Current Session: April 7 - May 26, 2021
Are you an adult who wants to put learning chess on top of your New Year's resolution! Get a head start with us at the Mechanics' Institute! This virtual class is open to any MI member who has no knowledge of the game or who knows the very basics and wants to improve. Taught by MI Chess Director Abel Talamantez along with Judit Sztaray and other MI staff, we will patiently walk through all the basics at a pace suitable for our class. Our goal is to teach piece movement basics, checkmate patterns, importance of development, and general strategy. We will also show students how to play online so they may practice. The goal of the class is to open a new world of fun and joy through the magic and beauty of chess, from one of the oldest and proudest chess clubs in the world.
Registration: Free for MI members. Members will have to register online to secure their spot and to receive an email confirming the Zoom link.
More information: https://www.milibrary.org/chess/free-adult-beginner-class-mechanics-members
Registrer for NEW session:FULL
NEXT session: June 9 - July 28:
Registere here: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2021OnlineClasses/FreeAdultBeginnerClassforMechanicsMembersJuneJuly2021
5) Wednesdays 6:30-8PM - Advanced Attacking Techniques
Course Dates: April 28 through Jun 2 (6 classes)
Special class for players with 1800+ USCF rating to learn, discuss and improve on their attacking skills.
$150 Mechanics' members. $180 for non-members. Few single class registrations are available -- Registration is needed to receive the zoom link.
More information: coming soon
Register: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2021OnlineClasses/AdvancedAttackingTechniquesbyFMPaulWhitehead
6) Wednesdays 7-8PM - Tactics for the Developing Players
Course Dates: March 31 through June 2 (10 classes)
I am IM (International Master) Elliott Winslow, and I’ll be teaching this course! I will go over one of the greatest players (world champions, groundbreakers, players who advanced chess theory and practice) per week, including some of the history of the player and the time period in which they made their mark, and use their games to instill basic tactical and positional thinking to those in the class. I will do weekly game analysis of at least one game from the star of the week, and show how to find tactics in that game and through puzzles, and at the end of class either leave time open to go over games sent by the participants ahead of class, or for the students to play some games.
More information: https://www.milibrary.org/chess/tactics-developing-players
7) Free Women's Online Chess Class by FIDE trainer Sophie Adams
Sundays 10AM - 12PM
Come join us on Sundays as we are offering a free class for women from 10am-12pm(noon) online.
Coached by FIDE Trainer Sophie Adams, this class is for women and girls looking to develop their chess skills with a community of women. Knowledge of piece movements and mates is expected. Registration is required so we may send the links for players to join. Zoom will be required to participate, and we will include optional links to participate in online platforms like chess.com if players would like to play with each other online.
Be sure to be a part of the Mechanics' Women's Chess Club on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/club/mechanics-womens-club
If you haven't already joined, please click request to JOIN and please put your full name when requesting.
If you are not yet part of the club, you can also choose to send your username to us, and we can send you an invite.
We are proud to offer this opportunity to bring communities together through chess.
More information: https://www.milibrary.org/chess/free-womens-online-chess-class
Class is free, but must register to receive class information: https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2021OnlineClasses/FREEWomensOnlineChessClassSundays1012
Testimonials about our classes
" It was fascinating to me and a wonderful challenge. Now I have many directions to follow in my studies, and I am newly interested in the history of many of these World Champions. Paul had obviously done a great deal of research, and I can't believe how much I learned in speeding through so many games. I enjoyed both Part I and Part II very much. I've done more reading about chess and chess history than I have playing chess. " Terri C.
"I continue to be impressed by the level of service the Chess Team provide to chess players. I believe that "The Queen's Gambit" is having an impact comparable to Bobby Fischer in the '70's!" Larry S.
For complete online tournament schedule:
Free daily tournamnets:
USCF Online rated tournaments
Tuesday Night Marathon Online:
Thursday Night Marathon Online:
Weekend tournaments:
Game Annotation and Analysis from 3-Time US Champion GM Nick de Firmian
https://mechanics-institute.jumbula.com/2021OnlineClasses/GameAnalysispackageGMNickdeFirmian