During this year’s Michigan Open in Lansing, Bob Ciaffone agreed to sit down with WestMichiganChess.com and talk about what he has learned running the Saginaw Youth Chess League. We hope that Bob’s experience-based advice may help other adult volunteers who are setting up local programs in their areas. Here are some excerpts from what Bob shared with us:
Bob Ciaffone goes head to head with defending champion David Kvatadze in the medal round of the 2010 Michigan Open.
Photo Credit: Rose Homa
I’ve been running the Youth League in Saginaw for about 10 years. There are K-5 and K-8 leagues.
- Parental participation. The most important thing is to get parents participating. I can’t be everywhere at once! I just need parents who are willing to put the time in. They don’t even need to play chess. Parents are needed to provide supervision--for such things as stopping kids from hitting each other with their bishops!
End on Time! All my leagues end on time. The parent want to be able to drop their kids off, and pick them up at the agreed upon time. So ten minutes or so before it’s time to end, I adjudicate games. I’ll explain, “You won because you’re up a queen and a rook.” The kids and the parents all cooperate fine with this.
Bob plays Apurva Virkud, the fourth ranked Under 13 girl in the United States.
Photo Credit: Rose Homa
Each kid plays two games in an hour against their opponent. One game with Black, one with White.
The League runs from November through the end of the first week in March, when we give out trophies.
Chess helps make kids more successful. They learn how to win graciously, and they learn how to lose graciously. I’ve played competitive games my whole life, and I’ve done more than my share of winning, and of losing.