<span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><h1 class=""><span class="p-span" style="text-align: center; ">STEM Secondary Chess Club</span></h1><h1 class=""><span class="p-span" style="text-align: center; ">Partnered with PALS Chess Academy</span></h1></span><span class="p-span"><h2 class=""><span class="p-span" style="text-align: center; ">Middle & High School Student Registration 2024</span></h2></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">Because we have so many excellent chess players at STEM, this fall, we’re piloting a program for students who have mastered the basics and want to learn more! This club will present a more rigorous and focused curriculum introducing more complex checkmates made through coordinated piece movement. Students will use notation to track the moves of their actual games and learn from analyzing mistakes and successes. Lessons will also emphasize the importance of analyzing various positions in the game from both player's perspectives, helping students better understand how to prioritize key decisions during the game.</span><span class="p-span">The longer-term goal for this club will be to develop a skilled, competitive STEM chess team that can compete regionally and eventually nationally. To that end, students applying for Advanced Chess should already be competing in tournaments or actively working towards this. </span><span class="p-span"><br></span><span class="p-span"><b>Advanced Chess will be taught by Sullivan McConnell, a National Master, Life Master, and a 7-time Colorado State Chess Champion who has taught chess since he was 12. He is currently ranked as the top player on Team USA for People with Disabilities. Read more about Sullivan and his chess journey at </b><span style="text-align: var(--bs-body-text-align);"><b>https://palschess.com/pals-coaches/</b></span></span></span></span></span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><b><br></b></span></span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">Meets on Mondays 3:30 - 4:30 PM </span></span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">August 19 - December 16 (15 weeks no chess club on 9/2, 10/14, 11/25)</span></span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">Cost: $300/student </span></span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">Limited to 20 students</span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">Scholarships are available for families that need financial assistance. Contact ashley.westfall@stemk12.org for details. </span></span><span class="p-span"><span class="p-span">Contact melanie.fitzroy@stemk12.org for questions about the Secondary Chess Club.</span></span></span></span>
