International Chess Institute Mission

International Chess Institute Chess Programs

Chess Discovery
As children reach the age of adolescence they begin to aspire to understand their place in society. This is a critical time for them to develop their decision-making skills and learn to think critically. Chess has shown to be a great resource in developing such qualities. Adolescents learn that every move they make on the chess board impacts the outcome of the game just as every decision they make in life has consequences.

One of the first lessons taught in the Chess Discovery curriculum is the "crossing the street lesson". This teaches practical lesson of life of being aware of your environment.

An ICI instructor will initiate the lesson by proposing the question: What should you do every time before you cross the street?

Adolescents invariably answer look both ways. The teacher will proceed with a secondary question why do you look both ways before you cross the street? The logical answer is to watch out for cars.

Through utilizing common knowledge for adolescents we can expand on more important principles. Well, just as you need to worry about cars when crossing the street you should always be aware of your environment in chess and any possible threats.

Thus, chess is a game of proactive and reactive thinking. It is taught that great chess players are always aware of the threats and proactively takes measures to deal with any potential problems. Look for threats (cars) before you make your move.

Private Instruction
The International Chess Institute (ICI) offers, one-on-one instruction through our subsidiary company Chess Students Worldwide that conducts classes at various studio locations and student’s home. Private instruction is offered for any duration of time. Fees are dependent upon chosen instructor level and special needs of students. For more information, please contact us at info@internationalchessinstitute.org.

Group Instruction
The ICI also offers group lessons at any one of our studio sites for groups with a minimum size of four players and a maximum size of 20 players. ICI faculty members are also available to teach group lessons in your area. Group instruction fees are dependent upon chosen instructor level, size of group, and special needs of students. For more information, please contact us at info@internationalchessinstitute.org.

Chess Expressions

"There are many who hold, as I do, that the most important part of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. (Dr. Maria Montessori)".

Embracing this philosophy and understanding that children inevitably express interest in games at an early age it is important to keep children on the "right path". This newfound interest in games does not need to be viewed as a distraction from early academics. Instead it may be an opportunity to introduce games that help cognitive development and strategic thinking while children have fun.

This is why at the ICI we developed the play and learn curriculum known as Chess Expressions. Children may have little hands but they can make big moves on chess board. At ICI programs children learn the merit of good sportsmanship through shaking hands before and after every game.

One ICI student Michael Johnson commented: "I lost this game, but it was a good game. I will try to win next week." Learning from your losses in chess helps prepare children to deal with minor and major setbacks in life and for them to work to persevere in the future. A child may not win every game, but every game they lose they can learn valuable lessons that will get them closer to winning in the future.

The Chess Expressions group focuses on children 4 through 7 years of age. The lesson plans are taught at a level young children understand. Many of our ICI instructors have years of experience as professional teachers in public and private schools.

Tuition for School-base Programs
Tuition cost varies from program to program based on the specific needs of the program, for more information please contact us at info@internationalchessinstitute.org.