WSCF Chess School Certificate Program
The WSCF Chess School offers a curriculum for a student advancing their skills in chess and rewarding them with certificates as each level is attained. Current certificates being offered are Pawn, Knight, Bishop and Rook. Students can earn and test for their certificates in WSCF classes; camps and clubs run by WSCF trained instructors. WSCF instructors meet monthly and any parent, coach or teacher can attend these meetings to learn the curriculum and testing material and hence be certified to award the certificates. The monthly training sessions are free. Students can also test for certificates at chess tournaments via one of the certified instructors and if they have not attended a class, camp or club they will be asked to pay a small fee upon passing the test for that particular certificate. In general, the requirements for earning each certificate are as follows:
Pawn: The intent of the pawn certificate is to recognize that students are ready to play a game of legal chess. This means that they know how to set up the board, know how each piece moves, the relative value of each piece, concepts such as check, checkmate, castle and en passant as well pawn promotion. This includes the three ways to get out of check as well as the rules preventing a player from castling. Students will also learn the rules of touch-move, adjust, clock etiquette, three-move repetition and the 50-move rule. To earn this certificate student will have to demonstrate these concepts with a board and pieces to an instructor.
Knight: The intent of the knight level of knowledge is to prepare students for rapid understanding of the teaching of tactics at the bishop level. At the knight level student will work on developing board vision, opening principles, mating strategies involving two rooks, one rook, one queen, and two bishops. Students will also learn end game principles and pawn ending. Students will learn chess notation and practice it. Students will learn Scholars and Fool’s Mates, and how to block them. Students will learn basic maxims that make for good play. These include the 11 most common mistakes that beginning players make, the 7 types of draws and 30 some fundamental guidelines that make for good balanced games. During knight classes, students will engage in activities that will develop board vision and practice, practice, practice. Just as in learning soccer, the more touches you have on the ball the sooner you have ball control. The same is true in chess. The more you play the sooner you develop “board vision” and begin to see all of the possibilities on the board of play. To earn the knight certificate students will be asked to demonstrate some principals and take a written exam with multiple choices, fill in the blank and short answer questions.
Bishop: Study at the bishop level will focus on tactics and combinations. Students will learn to recognize and use all of the dozen or so tactics and how to use them in combination. Students will also practice calculating. Calculating means envisioning what is going to happen in a sequence of moves after an initial move and determining who will be better off after the triggered chain of events. Students will study great tactician's games and practice, practice, practice by studying tactic puzzles. Students will earn the Bishop certificate by demonstrating tactical positions to an instructor and taking a written exam. 
Rook: After earning the pawn, knight and bishop certificates students are now ready to begin the real education of the game. The first three levels are the foundations for a student to become a successful player. In Rook classes, students will study classic opening principles and patterns and learn 5 to 10 famous chess openings and how to defend against each. Students will also study famous mating patterns such as Anastasia’s Mate, The Arabian Mate, Philidor's Legacy, and Pillsbury and Murphy’s mate just to name a few. Students should have in their repertoire at least 10 famous mating patterns. Students will study famous games of grandmasters and will begin to play blindfold chess. To earn a rooks certificate students will demonstrate they can play at least 10 moves of blindfold chess, show and discuss a famous game of students choice from the past with an instructor, having memorized all the moves and discussing the strengths and weakness of the game. Students will also take a written exam with multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.
After earning each certificate students names will be posted on the WSCF Chess School Website and list the date and the name of the instructor from which they earned their certificate.
The Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation (WSCF), formerly Milwaukee Area Scholastic Chess Association (MASCA), is a 501(c)(3) non profit association dedicated to promoting chess for our youth in greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin. WSCF coordinates scholastic chess tournaments at area schools, operates a chess school with qualified instructors who follow the WSCF curriculum, offers services through the WSCF chess club coach program, conducts chess club management seminars for parents and teachers, and provides chess club start-up grants.
P.O. Box 170843, Milwaukee, WI 53217-9998 Phone: (262) 573-5624
Friday May 9th, 2008