Saturday Morning Junior Chess Class (Over-the-board) 2024

Where: MCC, 66 Leicester Street, Fitzroy

When:  Every Saturday during school term, except as noted, and casually during school holidays, from 10am to noon.

Note: Casual Holiday Classes 4, 11 and 18 January 2025

Term 4:

December 7, 14 & 21

Member Casual: $20

Non-member Casual: $25

Term 1:

February 1, 8, 15 & 22

March 1, 15, 22 & 29

April 5

Holidays: April 12

Pricing:

If paying for a full term: $162 term if prepaid available for members (Term 1 2025)

Member Casual: $23

Non-member Casual: $28

Format: Welcome by coach, coach explaining themes/patterns/games on a chess board, classes include theory, puzzles, and analysis of games the children have played.

Level: Enthusiastic beginner to early club competition level (5 years - approx. 18 years old).

Objective: To encourage love of chess, chess learning confidence and introduction to club-level tournament chess.

Coaches: FM Kai Jie Soo, Sulia Van Sebille, Ryder Testolin Nicholas Ilic, Sophie Davis and Jasper Hird (profiles below).

Contact: Elizabeth Warren (0400 405 220, elizabethlaurenwarren@gmail.com) or William Kersey (williamdkersey@gmail.com)

Coach - FM Kai Jie Soo

Kai began playing chess in his school’s chess club, age 8. Since then he has represented his schools at national and international scholastic events. Kai would also go on to represent Singapore in the World Youth Chess Championships. More recently, Kai achieved his FM title at the 2023 Oceania Zonals. Having struggled to break plateaus in chess, Kai understands the common difficulties faced by amateurs and hopes to help students in similar situations while working toward the IM title.

Coach - Sulia Van Sebille

Sulia started playing chess as an eight-year-old in her school’s chess club. Ever since then she has travelled all round Australia playing tournaments. Sulia has been selected for four JETS squads and is currently coached by GM Ian Rogers and WGM Julia Ryjanova. In 2018 she represented Australia in the World Youth Chess Championship in Greece.

Coach - Ryder Testolin

Ryder Testolin is a young Australian chess player who started playing at the age of 8, and recently won the 2022 U18 Victorian Championships. Among numerous other chess titles, Ryder won the Australian Junior U16 Championships in 2020. Ryder hopes to help ambitious and enthusiastic junior chess players develop their skills by broadening their understanding of the game in a fun and enjoyable environment. Ryder also emphasises the importance of teaching junior’s resilience and improving their concentration and patience. Ryder is working towards gaining his FM title in the near future.

Coach - Nicholas Ilic

Nicholas has been playing chess at a very young age, at 8 years old. Since then he has earned a Victorian and Australian Junior Championship, representing Australia in the World Youth Championships Under 14. At the beginning of 2023, Nicholas finally achieved his FIDE Master title. Having played chess at many different levels, Nicholas understands all the stresses and things that can happen in a chess game. He enjoys all the complexities of a chess game and wants everyone to enjoy and have fun while they are learning chess.

Coach - Sophie Davis

Sophie began her chess journey being introduced to the board game pretty much as soon as she could walk and talk. Having played overseas representing Australia in a handful of junior chess events in places like Slovenia and Thailand, Sophie has had lots of tournament and game experience. Now, with a passion for primary school teaching, Sophie hopes to do the two things she loves: working with children and playing chess! She hopes to expand the love and knowledge of chess in a fun and inclusive environment. Chess is for everyone!

Coach - Jasper Hird

Jasper first discovered chess when he was 6 and began playing for fun, up until he discovered his passion for the game, and started practicing seriously at the age of 12. Not too long after, Jasper started attending tournaments and over time he began to win some of these tournaments. These results were achieved with the help of GM Dmitry Gordievsky’s teachings and now Jasper is keen to use this valuable experience to help teach the children at MCC. Jasper will share his knowledge and passion for the game while helping them develop their strategic abilities and calculation skills.

About the program

Melbourne Chess Club has offered the Saturday morning program for many years as a way of introducing junior players to club level chess. The program aims to give the junior players the skills and confidence to play in tournaments at the club. In particular the Saturday Allegro, and for the more enthusiastic players, the open long-play competitions.

Many of the strong junior players at the club started with the Saturday morning program.