Intermediate to Advanced Online Kids Club
INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED KIDS CLUB (900 – 1600 ELO)
THURSDAY AFTERNOON – 4.45 – 5.45 PM
SUMMER TERM 2024 – FIGHTING SYSTEMS AGAINST THE FRENCH & CARO-KANN
Course Theme: Fighting the French & Caro-Kann Defences.
Introducing the Sharpest French (3. Nc3). In class, we will be looking at and playing out middlegame positions arising from a selection of sharp but dependable attacking lines for white in the Classical (3…Nf6), Winawer (3…Bb4) and Burn variations (3…dxe4). Many white players reject 3. Nc3 and the brilliant attacking possibilities afforded by this direct approach to the French owing to the mistaken notion that playing 3. Nc3 requires too much theoretical knowledge. My goal in this course is to dispel this notion by taking an in-depth look at positional attacking lines whose starting points are easy to reach, so students focus on choosing lines that play to their individual strengths, i.e. sharp middlegame plans for tactically minded players or more subtle positional approaches for strategic thinkers. On this course, I will also be looking at an unassuming positional approach against the Caro-Kann that scores extremely well for white in top-flight chess (1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. c3 Nf6 5. Bf4). The line in question also often frequently arises in a critical counter-attacking line in the London System (1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 Nf6 3. Nf3 c5 4. e3 cxd4 5. exd4 Bf5 6. c3) and was memorably used by Ding Liren to defeat Ian Nepomniatchi in their World Championship Match in 2023.
Practical play and analysis will be the order of the day on this course. Students will be given workbooks with thematic puzzles to solve and tricky middlegame challenges to mull over. For the duration of the course, students will have access to the Chess Bud Learning Portal (powered by Chesslang) where they will be able to play through solutions to the workbook puzzles and also play through new annotated games each week in the lines covered on the course.
The Chess Bud Annotated Games Database currently includes many deeply annotated games on the Advanced variations (3. e5) against both the French and Caro-Kann Defences that students can also review.
Finally, I’m delighted to announce that a significant new feature has just been added to the Chess Bud Learning Portal which now enables students to play through annotated games in a much more spacious Board Area. Annotations and sidelines are now much easier to read on whatever device you are accessing the portal on. As an added bonus, you can now also explore other lines and possibilities not covered in the annotated game you are playing through by simply making moves on the Board. You also can use an engine to look a little deeper and find your own new ideas!
COURSE DURATION: 7 weeks
COURSE TIMES: 4.45pm – 5.45pm
COURSE DATES: Thursday May 2nd / 9th / 16th / 23rd/ 30th & June 6th/ 13th
COURSE FEES: 70 Euro (10 Euro per student per class)
Each class will run with a minimum of 8 students. If cancelled, a full refund will be issued.
If you out find out about the course, a few weeks into the term . . . No worries! There is continuous enrolment 🙂
You can sign-up mid-way and just pay for the remaining classes.
Just email mark@chessbud.ie to find out the correct amount based on the remaining classes in the term.
CONTINUOUS ENROLMENT! – Missed a week or two? No worries. You only need to pay for the remaining classes!
MORE ABOUT THIS COURSE…
This course is reserved for primary and secondary school students in Ireland or abroad who have have either already completed my experienced beginners course or new students with an online or over-the-board ICU or FIDE rating between 900 and 1600 Elo. This goal of this course is to help kids bring their chess playing level up to strong intermediate level and give them them the necessary tools to go about becoming Advanced Players. 60- minute classes each include a game against other students, middle-game challenges and in-depth analysis of students’ games.
In class, students will have the opportunity to play out middlegame position in simuls against Mark or training games against other students. There will also be various themed Chess Bud tournaments throughout the course where kids can try out the French and Caro-Kann lines explored in class with white and black in fortnightly Chess Bud Online Tournaments. In class, Mark regularly reviews and analyses games from Chess Bud Tournaments as well as games students send him from over-the-board league, weekend tournaments or national championships.
Let’s play Chess!
BOOK NOW!
TO SECURE YOUR PLACE ON THIS COURSE,
PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION FORM BELOW AND FOLLOW PAYMENT STEPS TO SECURE YOUR BOOKING.
SECURE YOUR BOOKING:
You can choose one of the following payment options to secure your place on this course:
- Revolut to:
+353-85-1526889 or by using this link – https://revolut.me/markmtykf
2. Paypal to:
mark@chessbud.ie or through searching my username: @chessbud
3. EFT to Chess Bud IBAN:
IE82AIBK93319864200001
When paying by EFT, please don’t forget to include your name,
so we that know who the payment is for. Many thanks!
IM Mark Quinn,
Chess Bud Ireland
