12 Week Chess Course Timetable

STARTING SOON at beginning of NOVEMBER!

This 12-week beginner course is designed especially for juniors across Newport. The timetable below has been adjusted to perfectly fit a compact, 1-hour weekly format (5:30pm to 6:30pm on Mondays). It is organised primarily by Malpas Chess Club in cooperation with Newport Chess Club. The two clubs are based in the local areas of Malpas and Newport respectively, and the course itself is held at the neutral venue of The Riverfront Theatre in Newport.

Club bases:

Malpas Chess Club – Malpas Unionist Club Hall, Malpas Road (next to Harvester), Newport
Newport Chess Club – The Pen and Wig, Stow Hill (bottom), Newport

Because 60 minutes goes by very quickly, each regular week follows a strict 20-minute lecture + 40-minute application rule. The four Masterclasses (Weeks 3, 6, 9, and 12) are designed to give developing players additional time for interaction and practical application.

Find out about the Saturday Junior Chess Club, running 11:00am to 12:00pm at the same venue.

View the calendar with all course and Junior Chess Club dates.

View the Gwent chess clubs map and venue list.

Week 1

The Battlefield & The Army

0:00–0:20: Setting up the board, algebraic coordinates, and piece movements.
0:20–1:00: Pawn Wars minigame to build comfort with moving and capturing.

Week 2

Rules of Engagement & Special Moves

0:00–0:20: Castling rules, check vs. checkmate, stalemate, and en passant.
0:20–1:00: Guided puzzle solving to visually differentiate checkmate from stalemate.

Week 3

Masterclass 1 – Opening Mastery

0:00–0:30: The Big Three: Controlling the center, rapid piece development, and securing the King.
0:30–1:00: Analysis of a famous, fast opening miniature to show what happens when guidelines are ignored.

Week 4

Basic Tactical Weapons

0:00–0:20: Introduction to patterns: Forks and Pins.
0:20–1:00: Tactical Speed Run: Working through basic interactive sheet puzzles.

Week 5

Advanced Tactical Weapons

0:00–0:20: Introduction to Skewers, Discovered Attacks, and Double Checks.
0:20–1:00: Students pair up to play training games where finding a tactic wins bonus points.

Week 6

Masterclass 2 – Positional Concepts

0:00–0:30: Moving past simple tactics: Finding open files for Rooks, creating permanent outposts for Knights, and avoiding doubled/isolated pawns.
0:30–1:00: Interactive board breakdown of a highly positional game.

Week 7

Calculation & Visualization

0:00–0:20: The Checklist method: Checking forcing moves (Checks, Captures, Threats) before moving.
0:20–1:00: Two-move blindfold exercises and forced mate-in-2 puzzle blocks.

Week 8

King Safety & Attacking the Castled Position

0:00–0:20: Identifying weaknesses around the enemy king (f7/f2 points, missing defensive pieces).
0:20–1:00: Playing out “preset” unbalanced attacking positions with a partner.

Week 9

Masterclass 3 – Essential Endgames

0:00–0:30: King & Pawn basics (the “rule of the square” and opposition) and basic Rook checkmates.
0:30–1:00: Endgame challenge: Students take turns trying to draw or win a simplified endgame position against the instructor.

Week 10

Clock Mechanics & Tournament Rules

0:00–0:15: Touch-move rule, illegal moves, and how to operate a digital chess clock.
0:15–1:00: Rapid training games using standard club clocks to get comfortable under time pressure.

Week 11

The Club Simulation

0:00–1:00: A full Mock Club Night running from 5:30pm sharp. Students are paired up under tournament conditions to play a serious game. Moves are recorded if they are familiar with notation.

Week 12

Masterclass 4 – The Grand Finale

0:00–0:15: Review of key moments and tactical misses from the Week 11 mock games.
0:15–1:00: Simultaneous Exhibition: Multiple boards are played concurrently across the room to wrap up the course.

Meet the Tutors

Masterclasses Course sessions
Dr David Norris Malpas tutor
Mr Tomas Forsey Newport tutor
Mr Liam Powell-Jones Newport tutor