Summer Chess Camp opens June 3
MADISON -Madison City Chess League will offer Summer Chess camp on June 3-7.
Rainbow Elementary School, 50 Nance Road will host the camp. All camp sessions last one-half day and will meet each day on June 3-7.
“Summer Chess Camp is a great way to immerse yourself in chess and to learn how to play chess,” Ranae Bartlett said. Bartlett is the league’s executive director.
“Our instructors and their assistants are experienced in training everyone from beginners to state and national champions,” Bartlett said. “Rainbow elementary’s outdoor and indoor chess classrooms offer the perfect location to teach kids about chess.”
Chess families can choose between two types of morning camps.
The “Learn to Play Chess Camp” will meet from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The camp is designed for students who want to learn to play chess, the game’s basic rules and point values of pieces. All campers will receive a workbook.
“Students will also learn how to capture en passant, rules on draws, opening principles and be introduced to basic checkmating patterns,” Bartlett said. Will Stevenson will instruct the ‘learn-to-play’-camp.
Also scheduled for morning sessions, the “Intermediate Competition Chess Camp” will meet from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. This camp is intended for students with a United States Chess Federation or USCF rating 600-1200. Jonathan Rasberry is this camp’s instructor.
For the afternoon, another two camps will be available. The “Beginning Competition Chess Camp” meets from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. This camp option targets “students who know how to play chess and have completed the Learn to Play Chess class but are unrated or have a USCF rating below 600,” Bartlett said.
Students registering for the Beginning Competition Chess Camp should have played in at least one tournament in a non-rated section. Instructor Will Stevenson will lead this camp.
The “Advanced Competition Chess Camp” also meets from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. For this session, students must have a USCF peak rating above 1200. Jonathan Rasberry will instruct the chess players.
Registration deadline is May 30 — or until the camp section is full. Fee for each camp is $150. For more information, visit madisonchess.com and click the graphic for Summer Chess Camp.
For families that need full-day childcare during the summer, Rainbow also offers full-day summer camp. A family can register for both Summer Chess Camp and also childcare camp at Rainbow. A child can return to regular camp when chess camp ends each day. For more information, contact Rainbow’s office at 256-824-8106.