TLCA Parents,

Chess offers incredible benefits for people of all ages, but these benefits are most astounding in children. Chess has been shown to improve logic, reasoning, decision-making, and confidence in children. It has even been linked to higher test scores. Many people have the misconception that you must be a genius to play chess. The opposite is true, "Chess makes you smart."

TLCA would like to start a free Chess Club for students in grades 6th through 12th. It will be a weekly hour-long class consisting of a 20-minute chess lesson and 40 minutes for play. There are likely many students who play chess already or are interested in learning. We intend to provide a fun, safe, and positive learning environment for all interested students. 

In-person meetings will occur one time per week on Wednesdays in room 901 of the Jr. High campus from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm once the school year begins. The meetings are sponsored by Pamela Luther the Jr. High Leadership Teacher. Chess will be taught by Chase Ross and William Bodnar. In the meantime, we attend a chess club on Mondays from 6-8 pm at the library in downtown San Angelo. Attending the club would be a great first step to get students playing and would give us an idea of their experience level. 

This email is intended to generate a list of prospective students so we can tailor our lessons and gather the necessary equipment. If your student is interested, please reach out to the email below. 

Pamela.Luther@tlca-sa.com

Thank you,

William Bodnar, Chase Ross, and Pam Luther

Biographies:

William Bodnar is an accomplished international tournament chess player and a Certified Tournament Director. He has 15 Years of Chess teaching experience, most notably at the Berkeley Chess School where several prominent former students have gone on to achieve Master titles. William founded the Olympic Chess Club and Sierra College Chess Club, which have been involved in over 30 schools. He has also served as the lead organizer for several summer chess camps.

Chase Ross has played chess extensively through his 5 years in the U.S. Army, including in Poland, Germany, and Kuwait. He is a private coach to several students and an organizer of several online chess events. Chase is currently pursuing U.S. Chess Federation coaching certification.