Knights & Bytes Chess Tuition

Knights & Bytes is a special business set up in South Australia to promote chess to schools, groups and individuals and to develop a wide range of elegant databases, suited to your business. We also provide a wide range of chess equipment and books.

We are now opening our Shop for after-school coaching on Tuesdays from 3.50pm - 5pm. Cost is just $8. An extra session from 5pm-6pm may be scheduled depending on demand.

This special introductory chess class is intended to be a gentle and fun overview of the key ideas of the game. We touch on tactics and strategies, explain the fundamental checkmate patterns and show how to play and avoid the most common traps in chess like Scholar's Mate (the 4-Move Mate). Lots of practice and hints on playing - you will hear about some of the wonderful characters of chess and its history, along of course with the gossip! :)

Ideal for all adults who want to find out what chess is all about or who want to play with their children or who are thinking about joining or setting up a social club. It is not necessary to know how the pieces move and to setup the board beforehand - but it would be helpful - and then we will take over the rest ;)

Dates: 20th, 27th September, 11th, 18th, 25th October, 1st November.At the Chess Shop.

Register - Please register soon but pay on the day - the numbers are limited.

We will also be running shortly a course on Savage Chess for experienced players - how to attack! great fun!

Our key chess product is Good Move! and to see some sample movies, please click here

You can also download a free 10 day trial copy of Good Move! If you like it, please let us know - we are sure you will discover many wonderful ideas - and we will send you a new registration key - it will only cost $20 including GST if you purchase and pay through paypal - and you will be eligible for the next upgrade free!

The cost for an individual copy on disk is just $27.50 (includes GST) or $165 for a school Licence - see more details.

Half-day/Full day classes

Term 3	Thursday 30th September 2010	The morning class starts at around 9.15am and finishes at12.15pm. The Afternoon class starts at 12.30pm and finishes around 3.30pm.
	Friday 1st October 2010	The morning class starts at around 9.15am and finishes at12.15pm. The Afternoon class starts at 12.30pm and finishes around 3.30pm.

Download a flyer for these AND details about the State Under 11 - State U9 Championships the following week!.

The Coaching Classes are suitable for youngsters of all levels and ages (6+) - from beginner (but a knowledge of how the pieces move will be assumed) to advanced. The classes will cover many key ideas and consist of many short lessons and games, all designed to help students discover the real joy of chess. Girls in particular are taught to counter-attack! Advanced students will discover 'Savage chess'!

We have deliberately introduced the new format of having a morning or afternoon class to make the day more suitable for very young children - youngsters older than 8 should have no problems coping with a fullday.

Fees: The cost for either the morning or afternoon class is $20 for the first child and $10 for each additional child of the same family. The cost for the FULL day is $30 per day and $15 per additional child..

Pizzas can be ordered for lunch - $4.50 per person - and will be ordered for 12.15pm.

Venue: The Chess Centre, 10 Ranelagh St. Adelaide - just off Waymouth St, west of Light Square. The Chess Centre will be open from 8.30am - 4.00pm for early arrivals and late leavers.

We will be running another free morning session for any interested students in the first week of the school holidays - Wednesday 7th April 2010, from 10.00am - 12 noonat the Special Education Resource Unit - SERU - in Fulham Gardens. Please register with SERU soon.

Alan gives the students several short lessons, interspersed with games, and then, importantly, key safe Internet sites where the students can play and solve problems. It's all very gentle and interesting.

We run Beginners groups and Advanced groups for Adults on Saturday mornings at our shop - small groups which can be enormous fun. We will teach you the essence of the game - the importance of development and how the pieces interact - and give you some wonderful opening ideas to pep up your game. You might like to learn about the Halloween Gambit or some of the latest theory on a pet line in the Sicilian. Or you might like to learn how you could have crashed through an opponent's defence or perhaps have saved the game - whatever you think you need, we can help - I hope! :)

These cost $35 - $40 and can be conducted at the shop or your home, depending on your location. This option is very popular - sometimes it is individual students or small groups - but please book early - there are only limited times available.

Come along to Whitmore Square, Morphett St. South Adelaide and be part of Chess for Life- a project being run by the SA Chess Association and the Adelaide City Council - Ideal for beginners - adults and youngsters alike. Play outdoors using the lovely chess tables under the trees or use the big chess set

Chess for students with Autism or Asperger's

We will be running another free morning session for any interested students in the second week of the school holidays - Tuesday 6th October 2009, from 9.30am - 11.30am at the Special Education Resource Unit - SERU - in Fulham Gardens. Please register with SERU soon.

The next session is on 6th October 2009 -9.30am-11.30am.

Chess at Stirling Library on alternate Saturday afternoons from 2pm - 4pm

Come along on alternate afternoons to the Library in Stirling and have a free lesson from Alan Goldsmith - he will also arrange games. Ideal for beginners - adults and youngsters alike.

The next session is on 19th September 2009.

Chess at Woodville Library on alternate Friday afternoons from 4.30pm - 6pm

Come along on alternate afternoons to the Library in the Civic Centre on Woodville Road and have a free lesson from Alan Goldsmith - he will also arrange games. Ideal for beginners - adults and youngsters alike.

The next session is on 25th September 2009 (apologies but I have to supervise school chess matches on Sept 11th & 18th).

Chess at The Parks Library on the final Sunday each month from 3.30pm-5pm

Come along on the last Sunday of the month to The Parks Library on Cowan Ave, Angle Park and have a free lesson from Alan - he will also arrange games. Ideal for beginners - adults and youngsters alike.

The next session is 27th September 2009.

If you would like your students to be involved with chess, Knights & Bytes can provide a coaching service for your school - before or after-school, lunchtimes and in lesson times. We are able to coach small groups or whole classes and either the school pays about $50 per session (depending where the school is) or if the parents wish to pay, then it ranges from $3 - $5 per student, with a minimum of 8 students. If you would like to have classes during school time, our rate is $50 per class. All prices include GST.

If you would like a free demonstration at your school at any time, please give Alan a ring on 8346 0589 or 0401 67 2481 (if he is not in his shop) and schedule an hour or two and he will come and take on any number of students simultaneously - he finished equal 4th in Australia years ago and has has been SA State Champion three times and just loves a challenge. Students who can beat him will win a prize!

Knights & Bytes has been teaching chess in schools locally for many years. We have taught thousands of students and many have gone on to become champions. Chess offers students and schools many benefits - click here for a list of benefits that our students have received.

If your school would like a day visit by Alan Goldsmith, please give us a ring - our rates are sensible (around the $330 mark dependng on where the school is) and we guarantee your students will enjoy it.

We are also very proud to have produced Good Move! Chess for Schools and Life - a CD-ROM to teach chess to students of all ages.

"I want to congratulate you for your CD Good Move. I find it brilliant � it certainly helps me in my attempts to improve my game and make sense of the complexities of Chess. Fantastic stuff! Thank you!"
Fred Roberg - September 2004

"A really fantastic program! I have thoroughly enjoyed using it. It is well designed and very informative. Perfect for school chess programs. I have longed for a program like this for years. Thanks for producing it. It makes teaching the game of chess so much easier."
Michael McKenna - Mooroolbark East Primary School - View More Reviews

We were very delighted in 2006 to have run Australia's first Internet Junior Chess Championships - please check the www.ausnetchess.org website for details and join in the fun.

We strongly recommend the Internet Chess Club as a great safe place to play chess on the Internet. It's easy to use, the players range from beginners to super-grandmasters and you can pick a game format that suits you. I usually just logon and play 5 minute games - I just choose the 5 option and then I am paired against someone near my own rating. And if I win the game, my rating goes up usually about 10 points while if I lose, it drops by something similar. You can choose to play hour long games if you wish or ask for a game at a time rate that suits you. Go to the website and discover why thousands of players choose to play chess on ICC - it does cost money however - around $USD60 for an adult or $USD30 for juniors but the value is superb - unlimited time to play opponents who love the game.