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Chess Steps Method

Chess-Steps has been developed in 1987 by Rob Brunia and Cor van Wijgerden in order to teach children to play chess.

Embraced by the Royal Dutch Chess Federation Chess-Steps became the single most popular method in The Netherlands. It spread throughout Europe and is now available world wide, including the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.. Chess-Steps is praised as one of the most innovative chess instructional programs in the world. 

Princeton Chess Academy is the first chess school in USA that fully adopts the Steps Method as its core curriculum. After years of research, studying many popular manuals and curriculum from Kasparov Chess Foundation, ChessKids.com, Susan Polgar, and etc., we conclude that the Steps Method is the best system to teach children, moving them from total beginners to advanced chess players.
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overview
There are six steps in the Steps Method. We are focusing on the first 4 steps. Each step takes about 32 weeks (one school year). Each step has three workbooks: core, extra and plus, with about 500 problems each. We expect our students to reach the advanced level (1500) after the four-year training.

Here are the summaries of all steps.

Step 1: rules of chess, how pieces move, introduce attack and defend, check, checkmate
plus: advanced attack and defend, board vision, exchange, mate patterns, draw, passed pawn

Goal of Step 1: play a game from the beginning to the end confidently without any illegal move

Step 2: opening principles, basic tactics including: double attack, pin, eliminate defense, discovery attack, mate in two, and defend against mate
plus: simple pawn endings, mating net, how to defend, stale mate, route planner

Goal of Step 2: know most basic tactics, start playing in chess tournaments

Step 3: deep diving on the tactics learned in step 2, defend against double attack, attack pinned piece, X-ray, mini plan, introduce positional thinking
plus: key squares, pawn endings, opening revisit, development and tempo, intermediate move

Goal of Step 3: skillfully utilize the tactics to win games, become intermediate players (above 800, may reach 1200 or higher)

Step 4: opening advantage, interfering, luring, blocking, think ahead, weak pawns, attack the king
plus: seventh rank, end game strategies, trapping

Goal of Step 4: be able to analyze a position, plan for attack or defense, become advanced players (above 1500)

Step 5: advanced topics
Step 6: self study material, for expert players only.

Of course, even the best system requires hard work from the students. The students should play a lot of games, and work on thousands of tactic problems outside classroom, otherwise theory or knowledge will stay on paper and not in their games.

We wish your children could benefit from this wonderful system, and become confident, mature chess players who will enjoy chess for life.



Also see the official Steps Method website http://www.stappenmethode.nl/en/
class design
We are offering the Step 1 to Step 3 classes in classroom setting all year-round. Each step will require 32 lessons, lasting one school year. Students can follow the steps and make progress at their own pace. At the end of the Step 3, we expect all students become experienced tournament players who can enjoy chess for life.

If you could not start a step in Fall, please consult us to see which step class you should pick to initiate your chess education.

Step 4 will be offered when there are enough interest. They will help prepare students for progressing to advanced level (above 1500).


Requirements for each class (other than completing the previous Steps class):

Novice (pre-Step): open to K-1 (age 5-6) total beginners, no knowledge required.

Step 1: has played chess for at least 3 months, USCF rating < 300


Step 2: can finish games confidently and quickly with no illegal moves, will learn tactics, suggested rating: 300 - 800

Step 3: open to rated tournament players, suggested rating: 700 - 1200

Step 4: open to rated tournament players, ​suggested rating: 1000 - 1500.


See our current schedule for Step Classes.
STEps description
Step 1 Topics

Board and pieces
Moves of the pieces
Attack and capture
The pawn
Defending
Check and getting out of check
Mate (1)
Mate (2)
Castling
Profitable exchange
Twofold attack
Draw
Mating with the queen
Taking 'en passant'
The notation

Winning material
Defending
Mate
Board vision
Defending against mate
Draws
Creating mate
The passed pawn


Step 2 Topics

Activity of pieces
Double attack: queen (1)
Double attack: queen (2)
The pin
Eliminating the defence
The 3 golden rules
Mate in two
Double attack: knight
Mating with the rook
Double attack: RBQK
Discovered attack
Defending against mate
Short notation

Mate
Pawn endings
The opening
Defending
Route planner
Working out mate
Stalemate
Winning material
Playing rules


Step 3 Topics

Completing the opening
Discovered and double check
Attack on a pinned piece
Mate through access
The square of the pawn
Eliminating the defence
Defending against a double attack
Mini plan
Draw
X-ray
The opening
Defending against a pin
Mobility
Key squares (1)
Pinned pieces
Threats
Key squares (2)

The X-ray effect
Pinned pieces
The rook pawn
The intermediate move
Vulnerability in the opening
Mini plans
Mate
Elimination of the defence
Under-promotion
Development
Pinning
Defend against mate
The square of the pawn
The discovered attack

Step 4 Topics

​Opening advantage
Interfering
Luring
Blocking
Thinking ahead
Placing the front and back piece
The passed pawn
Eliminating the defence
The magnet
Weak pawns
Material advantage
Chasing and aiming
Attack on the king
Seventh rank
Endgame strategy
Clearing
Queen against pawn

Attacking the king
Vulnerability in the opening
Interfering
Blocking
Draws
Trapping
Mini-plans
Pawn endings
Discovered attack
Endgame technique
Chess problems


Step 5 Topics

Material and time
Mate
Breakthrough
Using pawns
Pawn race
Seventh rank
Discovered attack
Pin
The opening
Rook against pawn
Strong square
Defending
Rook endings
Attack on the king
Open file
Draw

Activity
Pawn endings
King in the middle
The wrong bishop
Vulnerability
Queen endings
Defending
Eternal pins
Bishop against pawn(s)
Zugzwang


FAQS FOR STEPS CLASS
Q: Why does PCA adopt the Steps Method system, moving away from generic Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced classes?
A: The biggest problem with most generic classes is they are too generic. It's difficult to measure a student is successful with the class or not, other than they got 8 or 10 hours of exposure to chess. It's equally difficult to decide whether he/she should stay in similar class or move up to next level, especially when he/she switches teacher. Different teachers have different definitions of beginner, intermediate and advanced. And teachers tend to randomly pull out a rabbit from their hats (their previous games or experience) to teach, which may or may not be helpful.

The Steps Method system provides a clear and standard way to measure a student's progress. Each lesson focus on one or two topics. We make sure that students grasp the concept and its applications, not just a name. We help student build a solid foundation systematically. 

Q: Can my child enroll in a class without taking previous steps?
A: Sure, as long as he/she meets the minimum requirements. A lot of students come into the system at Step 2. If you are not sure, please contact us first.

Q: Can my child skip the one quarter?
A: It's not recommended for two reasons. First, a student needs time to assimilate the knowledge they learn in class. If a student is working extremely hard outside classroom and making much quicker progress (e.g. rating jump), of course he/she can skip a quarter. Most students won't do that. They need time to let the knowledge sink in. Second, we are using different workbook for each quarter. They are designed as a whole knowledge system for the specific level.

Q: Can my child join the class in the middle of a step, i.e., not in fall quarter?
A: Yes, we suggest you get an evaluation first. 


See our current schedule for Step Classes.
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