Resources

Chess Bingō

Chess Bingō is a new way to enjoy chess, learn the lingo, and (when played with teams) helps develop team-building skills.

I developed Chess Bingō to aid my students, and we’ve tested and used it with great success at the McMinnville Chess Club.

McMinnville Chess Club and the McMinnville Chess Library

Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to the McMinnville Chess Club, which offers free, open play events, rated and unrated tournaments, resources and opportunities for chess study and lessons, and the nicest chess club members you’ll ever meet in town.

The McMinnville Chess Club also features the McMinnville Chess Library, a growing collection of curated books, magazines, and equipment for club members and guests to use in their study and enjoyment of the game we love.

I’ve been the Club Director and Tournament Director of the McMinnville Chess Club since its founding in 2023. Visiting the club is a great way to meet up with me and talk about your chess goals, meet and play others in a safe, supportive community, and even drop off your kids while enjoying our venue’s offerings.

Chess Merit Badge Pamphlet

Scouting America has a Chess Merit Badge, and anyone — not just Scouts — can utilize the excellent Chess Merit Badge Pamphlet to learn the history of the game, explore strategy and tactics, and prepare for club and tournament play.

The pamphlet is both comprehensive and available as a free download, and I’ve adapted it to use as the basis for future chess camps. I’m also a certified Chess Merit Badge Counselor and can meet with and certify Scouts during regular chess club meetings.

ChessKid

From the makers of Chess.com, ChessKid is ad-free and offers a full curriculum, puzzles, and more. This is the platform that I use to create lesson plans and track the progress of my students, and it’s fun to use for youth and non-teachers, as well.

Duolingo Chess

Duolingo offers Duolingo Chess lessons with Oscar, a virtual coach. This chess course is fantastic for beginners and is completely free, uses tried and true spaced repetition techniques, and features Duolingo’s fun, quirky user interface. For a while, I was even ranked #1 in the world on Duolingo Chess!

US Chess

Registering with the United States Chess Federation (USCF) includes the monthly Chess Life and Chess Life Kids magazines, allows you to play in rated tournaments and climb the chess ladder with an official, nationally recognized chess rating — and it’s also one of the ways to get a free square in Chess Bingō!