offered by Headmaster GM Uwe Boensch.

From 4 until 10 November 2005, at the international training course, chess pedagogues from various countries got together for the third time to refresh their knowledge and to get new insights in the sport of chess. 13 chess trainers from three continents and ten countries met to listen to lectures and receive practical training on the big historical grounds close to the modern Olympic Stadium of Berlin for six days.

In the combined course, there were the following participants as FIDE Trainers:
Monika Tsiganova (Estonia), Alper Efe Ataman (Turkey), Fred Berend (Luxemburg), Joseph Ebenenezer (India), Ülar Lauk (Estonia), Michael Richter (Germany), Harald Schneider-Zinner (Austria) and as FIDE Instructors: David Connor (Hong Kong), Hanno Duerr (Germany), Guido Feldmann (Germany), Jan-Olof Lind (Sweden), Francis Mubanga (Zambia) and Kim Sang Yoon (South Korea).

The international course activity acknowledges the correctness of the chess pedagogical training for FIDE trainers and instructors started in November 2004. Initially, there were five participants. At the second course in April 2005, the number happily rose to nine and now to 13 active participants from three continents.

Lectures

Thanks to the successful lectures given by GM Adrian Mikhalchishin, Ukraine (Vice-chairman of FIDE Trainer Committee), GM Uwe Boensch (Federaral Coach), Horst Metzing (Secretary General ECU and Secretary of the German Chess Federation), PD Dr. Marion Kauke (Social and Pedagogical Psychology) as well as IM Michael Richter (ChessBase expert), who gave lectures in English, this course also became a success.

The objective of the lectures was to provide course participants with the skills to train young trainers in their countries independently. Experience exchange showed that it has not been possible everywhere yet.
For the lectures, on the other hand, it was not always easy to meet different training levels, experience values, performance levels and age categories from a didactical and methodical point of view. The lectures were excellently managed to balance various educational or language levels or differences in performance levels as well as to provide material which was intelligible to everybody.
The course leader Uwe Boensch met his colleagues in a friendly and collegial spirit and on the other hand, he led a strict and disciplined course. This quickly resulted in the elimination of people’s initial fears and ensured a successful course. This friendly cooperation finally helped achieve its objective despite various performance levels.
The international Trainer Academy with state-of-the-art equipment like modern computers, new software with training effects, permanent faster DSL internet access, webcams, overhead projectors, demo boards, flip charts and video projectors provided a basis for appropriate chess training. The Internet could be used and emails checked and sent. 

Lecture series – what and how was taught?

After the words of welcome given by Horst Meting, the hosting Secretary of the German Chess Federation and the Secretary General of the European Chess Union, the course leader GM Uwe Boensch explained the 6-day course schedule. This was followed by an introduction round, where the diversity and motivation of the participants became clear.

The lecture given afterwards by Mr Horst Metzing on structure, activities and the various tasks of the World Chess Union and the European Chess Union provided both facts and internal matters, which were possible through his 30-year active involvement in various committees. Via overhead projector, diagrams with comprehensive details about officials, institutions, commissions and events were shown, talked about and distributed to the participants in form of handouts.

GM Uwe Boensch divided his lectures into two parts. The first subject dealt with the teaching of middle game. The main area of focus used the example of the classical Karlsbad pawn structure. Central consideration was given to the following pawn structure: white: a2, b2, d4, e3, f2, g2, h2 - black: a7, b7, c6, d5, f7, g7, h7, which can be found in five different openings (exchange line in queen gambit, Bogoljubow System, Nimzowitsch Indian Defence, greenfield Indian Defence and exchange line of Caro-Kann Defence).
The strategic plants of white and black were explained.It was important to recognise the  practical transition in other pawn structures and forming end games. Practical and computer based example games contributed to the strategic understanding and consolidation of the material.

The content of the second part of his lecture focused on a quite different area. His experience at the top-level of the sport as leading trainer enabled him to present new technical equipment which has already been successfully used in sport disciplines. This includes the Austrian relaxing trainer device “iSense" with bio feedback function. With the help of a finger sensor and appropriate software, stress and stressors can be recognised and transformed into positive energy. With a sensor located in the finger tip, peripheral body temperature, electrical resistance of the skin and actual stress level can be measured. The precise recognition of stress factors is one aspect of it. The possibility of setting up an individual training plan with relaxing exercises is especially valuable for use in sport. All measuring values are processed in a laptop and clearly presented as a curve on a screen. Some trainers were offered a chance to fix their stress values via bio feedback by themselves and to read them with the help of the video projector on the wall. The significance of relaxed training for busy top players via bio feedback should not be underestimated when symptoms of an excessive training occur because this can be recognised in time and levelled out.

GM Adrian Mikhalchishin’s lectures dealt with many areas of chess teaching. His main points were focused on the field of opening training, methods of studying tactics, practical processes of thinking and planning in chess. The subjects covered on the demo board were based on the following structure.

The role of the opening in chess training

1. on history of the development of opening theory
2. the influence of the world champion in the development of opening theory
3. teaching methods on opening theory for juniors
4. opening “offers” made by a trainer
5. use of opening statistics as tools for improving of opening preparation

Methods of studying tactics

1. elements and motives
2. Bronstein’s view: double attack as the most important tactical element
3. Smyslow’s view: the value of giving check as an attack accelerator

Processes of thinking in chess

1. position analysis: static and dynamic elements, recognition of deceive elements
2. Dorfman’s theory on key elements
3. the role of prophylaxis in the process of thinking in chess

Planning – typical plans

1. advance calculation, various forms of calculating, graphic diagrams
2. training of calculating, blind exercises

 
Understanding chess, a passion for chess and a certain level of performance are necessary preconditions for the trainer profession. These factors are not enough for meeting high requirements in everyday praxis, too. Chess trainers are confronted with various tasks which require not only qualities of leading, but first of all interpersonal skills, self-control and excellent motivational skills. Therefore, in this course, Psychologist PD Dr. Marion Kauke, devoted herself to the following subjects: “Psychological and pedagogical skills of chess trainers; Sport/Social Psychology and Psychology of Chess Performance”.
First trainers should think of their pedagogical/educative success. The aim was to tell the participants about it and especially about the path to its realisation. This vivid experience exchange encouraged to do the role play. “How a trainer will cope with pressure put by ambitious parents on their kids playing chess, especially during tournaments?” The lively Indian trainer impressively showed a reaction of an overambitious father, who could not accept that his son lost against a younger opponent. “He has to win!”, he urged over and over again and knocked protégé’s confidence. Because of a lack of understanding and control over emotions (anger, anxiety, fury), outbursts of relatives effect the confidence of protégés. Course participant Alper Efe Ataman acted in the role of a trainer to talk to the father to provoke a change in approach and behaviour. WIM Monika Tsiganova from Estonia played a role of the child scolded by her father and showed all signs of depressiveness, desperation and defiance.

The readiness of participants to react to these modern forms of social psychological training was surprising. The parts were played in such a convincing way that the whole group of trainers from all over the word could emotionally follow it. They could precisely experience their problems and worries in everyday training. The role plays were recorded via video and analysed by everyone in front of the monitor. Every trainer could stop the film on a particular scene and scrutinise the film from a pedagogical and psychological point of view. Valuable hints on making a conversation, explaining the motivation, effective arguments and improving the situation were discussed afterwards from a psychological point of view. Dr. Kauke also pointed out scientifically proven principles and clues by looking at participants’ body language.
Social psychological matters of forming and consolidating a team as well as conflict resolution underlined the subject. Creativity and diverse ideas of trainers in contact with themselves and other individual persons of reference (parents, teacher, colleagues, functionaries etc.) are in high demand. The playful simulation training of right behaviour patterns in the interpersonal interaction and communication is important for during the training or competition it is not always possible to have long discussions or consult handbooks. As a group the trainers were psychologically encouraged not only by theory and lectures, but primarily by praxis-oriented teaching and acting in play. The recent event showed a break-through for the subject “Train the trainer”.

On Monday, several Chessbase programs were presented by the International Master Michael Richter. Participants were especially interested in various ways of training with Chessbase 9. It does not matter if it is about the preparation of one’s own game or the planning of training units. Chessbase 9 offers all information at a glance. The program continues to be smoothly adapted to user wishes through regular updating.
In the second part, various ways of training were shown on the chess server schach.de. Via audio and video transmission, internet training has been established as an excellent form of training. In this case, it does not matter if the training partner is 10 or 10,000 km away. Only a functioning internet access is needed. Of course, the brand new game program Fritz 9 was discussed. Here participants were mainly interested in chess courses. Through new video chess courses and detailed training options, Fritz 9 is also well suited as a training program. Once the overview was given, the material could be usefully practised in the modern computer pool. With his great experience in the field of internet training, Michael Richter was able to give valuable hints and show some tricks.

Trainer assignments and teaching practices

On the last day, participants presented their trainer assignments (for the title of FIDE Trainer) and answered questions from the exam committee or other listeners. In teaching practices for the title of FIDE Instructor, which usually lasted up to 30 minutes, pedagogical skills were given great importance. The lectures and teaching practices, which were taught in English (another FIDE language would be also possible), concerned both statements on content and the friendly contact with people, linguistic impression and personality of the lecturer.

Lectures or defence of academic assignments for the title of FIDE Trainer:

Michael Richter:                   The principle of the worst piece
Ülar Lauk:                            Petroff defence
Joseph Ebenezer:                 Pawn endings
Harald Schneider-Zinner:   The art of defence
Monika Tsiganova:              How to win winning position?
Alper Efe Ataman:              The secret of knight’s strength at f5
Fred Berend:                        The battle knight against bishop.

Teaching practices for the title of FIDE Instructor (chess teachers) began with comprehensive case studies by training referees of the German Chess Federation, where all trainers were given the opportunity to contribute to a difficult trainer-specific decision.

Hanno Duerr:                       Case study – A difficult decision: Nomination to a team
David Connor:                      The Danish gambit
Guido Feldmann:                  How can I use studies?
Ülar Lauk:                            The Petroff defence 
Jan-Olaf Lind:                      Isolated pawn
Francis Mubanga:                How does one open a game of chess? 
Kim Sang Yoon:                   Interesting lecture about Korean chess

Completing the course with Trainer Certificates

At the end of the course, all participants met for a glass of champagne and a snack in the library of the Trainer Academy. Headmaster GM Uwe Boensch thanked the participants for their active involvement and together with GM Adrian Mikhalchishin handed over international trainer certificates. Several participants thanked the hosts for the successful course and expressed their gratitude for the subjects they learned and for having lots of laugh and lots of fun during entertaining lectures. They gave statements on their personal impressions of the course.

Mr Joseph Ebenezer, who took a long trip from the southern Indian city of Chennai, said: “The course was already well-organised prior to my arrival with great online support from Headmaster Uwe Boensch. Because of this, I could prepare for the course for a long time. The course offered excellent conditions and we listened to different but highly interesting lectures, for example, the informative introductory lectures on FIDE structure given by Mr Metzing and on the new ֽiSense' Relaxation Technique. GM Adrian Mikhalchishin taught me to play chess better which helped me to improve my students’ performance. The lectures given by Dr Marion Kauke were very vivid. They helped us better understand difficult psychological and pedagogical problems and learn useful solutions through active involvement. The ChessBase training of Mr Richter was very helpful and technical problems were profoundly explained. Anyway I would like to say that it was great to participate in such a pleasant and professional course for chess trainers. I will return with great memories and renewed motivations. In my opinion, the course was just fantastic!" (a summarised statement).

FM Harald Schneider-Zinner, Chairman of the Commission of Juniors and Competitive Sport of the Austrian Chess Federation said: “The days spent at the FIDE Trainer Academy were full of interesting lectures. They were very helpful for my work as a trainer. I was very happy to meet trainers from all over the world, to study with them and to exchange our experiences."
IM Fred Berend, a strong chess player and a participant from Luxembourg explained: "To learn chess from experts, to talk about the significance of openings, pawn structures, planning and tactical exercises, has been always a pleasure for me. I very much liked the diversity of subjects which covered psychological aspects, relaxation and decision-making patterns”.

Last evening, IM Michael Richter, who has recently formed his own private chess school, invited us to pay a night visit there. The “Chess School Berlin” is located in the Bayerische Straße 32 in the centre of the capital city. At a quickly organised blitz tournament of twelve participants, the Austrian FM Harald Schneider-Zinner (10) was before the host IM Michael Richter (9.5), the two FM’s Ülar Lauk, Estonia (8.5) and Alper Efe Ataman, Turkey (7.5). Afterwards, the new FIDE trainers and FIDE instructors were ending the trainer course in the restaurant for a long time.

The next international trainer training course is scheduled to take place in Berlin from
24 February until 2 March 2006.