Looking for a club/tutor please............

Hi there, I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this post, but I wondered if anyone can help me please.

I'm currently living close to Biggleswade and for some time I've been trying to find a club that I could perhaps join local to this area, I've used Google and there appears to be one in Hitchin, however there is no email to contact.

Does anyone on RHP have any information regarding chess clubs in this area.

I've also been trying to find someone that gives lessons, this is all to try to improve my game.

I'd be grateful for any help anyone can give me please.

Thanks in advance.

Willy.......

The Herts Chess Association website has a couple of email address contacts you could try on their committee page, but I agree the Letchworth, Hitchin club contact page is a bit sparse.

http://www.hertschess.com/committee

The web officer should at least be able to provide a phone contact for someone at Hitchin/Letchworth. I see Steve Law from time to time as he also guests for a club in the Bedfordshire League so I could probably get a contact for him if desperate. Failing that pop along to St Columba College in St Albans on April 5th or 6th and watch a weekend tournament in progress! The organisers are some of the same people on that contact page. Enter the minor Under 120 tournament and have a go yourself, those players are not as strong as you fear!!

Thank you Ragwort.

The information you provided is very useful, I see there is also a club in Royston.

I have never played a single game OTB so the thought of entering a tournament scares me if I am honest. I feel that such an experience is a long way away. I will however pop along to get an idea of how such things run and see if I can chat to someone about a club.

I did some research and looked at the list of all the chess tutors on the ECF website I attempted to contact he ones close to me unfortunately I only received one reply to inform me that the tutor had moved and was no longer living in the area. I'm doing some reading on my own but it would just be nice to get some tuition, think I'd learn better that way.

I work through some GM games and wonder to myself what move I'd make next, then when I see the move wonder why its been made.

Thanks again for your response.

Best regards.

Willy....

Originally posted by Sirdubalot
Thank you Ragwort.

The information you provided is very useful, I see there is also a club in Royston.

I have never played a single game OTB so the thought of entering a tournament scares me if I am honest. I feel that such an experience is a long way away. I will however pop along to get an idea of how such things run and see if I can chat to someo ...[text shortened]... move wonder why its been made.

Thanks again for your response.

Best regards.

Willy....

No problem.

You should make moves for the reasons you do see.

When you face an opponent strong enough to unpick them you can see how it was done and work out how to avoid what followed. Thus you begin to pick out what is relevant and your vision adjusts. The only evidence there is as to how good or poor a player you are is your own games. They are what you should work with. This process is much quicker in face to face games (such as a club) where the post mortem discussion is at least as important as the game where the opponent can be encouraged to show you all the tricks he had prepared against various moves. If your game looks interesting or you miss a mate in two someone is bound to have been watching and will point it out after the game, or in my case recently post it on their club's website!!!

Thanks again Ragwort,

With your experience could you recommend or do you know of a tutor please.

Thanks again,

Willy....

Originally posted by Sirdubalot
Thanks again Ragwort,

With your experience could you recommend or do you know of a tutor please.

Thanks again,

Willy....

I played at St Albans a couple of years ago and Lorin D'Costa was playing in the Open section. In between moves he was checking on various games in the lower sections and indeed one of my opponents told me he was one of Lorin's pupils.

He clearly does monthly sessions for adults too:

http://www.chess-masters.co.uk/

Hi Ragwort,

 

It’s funny that you should mention Mr D’Costa as he is the only person I received a reply from when I sent an email, unfortunately he has moved and due to his location it is not practicable due to the distance involved.

 

So my search continues, but I will keep trying to find someone who is willing to give it a go.

Many thanks.

Willy.🙂

Originally posted by Ragwort
I played at St Albans a couple of years ago and Lorin D'Costa was playing in the Open section. In between moves he was checking on various games in the lower sections and indeed one of my opponents told me he was one of Lorin's pupils.

He clearly does monthly sessions for adults too:

http://www.chess-masters.co.uk/

Tried ringing both the numbers on the website several times and left messages, and tried the email address too, unfortunately no replies.

I tried, thanks for your help.

You don't teach do you by any chance

Willy....

😉

Originally posted by Sirdubalot
Tried ringing both the numbers on the website several times and left messages, and tried the email address too, unfortunately no replies.

I tried, thanks for your help.

You don't teach do you by any chance

Willy....

😉

Sorry - I have only just noticed this. I've been away and not looked here for a few days.

Tut, tut, first impressions and all that...who knows how many others have been put off by negative experiences such as yours.

Like most players I give lessons when I win and take them when I lose. There is an opportunity to learn something from every game whatever the result but there comes a time when the motivation to do so reduces. These lessons are reviewed and embedded in the solo analysis sessions at home, in the quiet, afterwards - but only if you bother. The quality and subtlety of what you discover in these sessions deepens as your skill improves.

Personally I believe you learn quickest at a club, when the primal instincts of trying to workout if your opponent is trying to knock your head off, strangle you, or kick you in the unmentionables so to speak, may heighten your senses more than pixels on a website. Discussing it afterwards helps too.

I have helped out informally at our club a little bit with some juniors and other novice players but I now have quite restricted hearing (which happened suddenly) and thus such things are not so easy nowadays.

I will see if I can drum up a useable contact for you. I am unlikely to play St Albans myself this year due to other commitments.

What percentage of games are won and lost due to skill as opposed to blunder?

Originally posted by Eladar
What percentage of games are won and lost due to skill as opposed to blunder?

Is there any skill in making fewer blunders?

Originally posted by Ragwort
Sorry - I have only just noticed this. I've been away and not looked here for a few days.

Tut, tut, first impressions and all that...who knows how many others have been put off by negative experiences such as yours.

Like most players I give lessons when I win and take them when I lose. There is an opportunity to learn something from every game whateve ...[text shortened]... able contact for you. I am unlikely to play St Albans myself this year due to other commitments.

Hi Ragwort,

I have sent you a message, its proving quite difficult to find something but I won't be put off I will keep trying, as always I'm grateful for any help and appreciate your reply.

Willy......

Originally posted by Ragwort
Is there any skill in making fewer blunders?

There most certainly is skill, but not in understanding what you are trying to do. You can lose do to blunders. You can lose do to a lesser understanding of the game. I think the two different reasons for losing should be taken into consideration.

Wow, when you misspell due, you misspell due.

What a do-do 😀