Independent Self Study & Feedback Loop - PLW75

Dear Chess Families & Friends,

Welcome to the new year! As we look forward to Spring Semester, there are a number of important events coming up, and in the interest of getting our teams and players ready to carry out their missions, we're happy to announce that our initiative for free entry to Grand Prix (our weekly USCF-rated training events) will remain in action, going forward until the State Championship in Saratoga on March 8-9, 2025.

We use the USCF rating system as a immediate feedback loop for tracking our short, medium and long term goals as players and with our teams, and every child from any New York City school, public or private or charter, can use this system to watch their efforts blossom into results. (See the chart above which shows how much work Fabiano Caruana put into his goals over time. From an initial rating of 473 up to a world championship caliber 2800+, Fabi shows a direct path for setting and achieving goals.)

That means for the next two months, all players can earn access to any of our Grand Prix sites for free simply by working to compile 75 points of Puzzles, Lessons, and Workouts on ChessKid in any given week. We want to see more players getting rated game practice, and so we're expanding access for all ICN players, regardless of their age or playing level.

Again, every player on every team has a gold membership to ChessKid.com, where they can train at home. And every Saturday we host Grand Prix chess training gyms near all of our teams.

For all the Grand Prix weekends from now until the state championship, our Grand Prix training matches will be free each week to all players who complete 75 PLW by the Friday night before each training session.

We know that more ChessKid training combined with club lessons translates into more USCF rating growth. If your child completes 75 points or more worth of Puzzles, Lessons, or Workouts by each Friday, they may then play at any of our Grand Prix sites (including Elite Quads for 1000+ USCF) for free that Saturday.

Here are all of our open sites. Use the code PLW75 when you register:

Now, we also know how much work it takes for kids not only to venture into the rated playing arena in the first place, but also to achieve their rating goals along the way to trying to join the Hall of Fame board for their teams. With that in mind, we are created an enhanced incentive system for players to strive for.

Now, we also know how much work it takes for kids not only to venture into the rated playing arena in the first place, but also to achieve their rating goals along the way to trying to join the Hall of Fame board for their teams. With that in mind, we are created an enhanced incentive system for players to strive for.

Moving forward, we will give prizes for all kids who achieve the following rating thresholds:

  • First Rated Game (the green Rookie ball)

  • 300+ Club (the bronze ball)

  • 700+ Club (the silver ball)

  • 1000+ Club (the gold ball) -- the ICN Hall of Fame benchmark!

  • Check out our 1500+ ICN USCF Hall of Fame

Part of the beauty of chess as an intellectual tool is the ability of players to track their goals and achievements in real time as they work and compete, and we hope making this clearer will help more kids reach their highest aspirations more quickly.

  • Come with friends, come with teammates, come in team gear, train together to make the magic happen!

  • Need help with transit? Our directors are happy to help organize groups of players to come together.

  • Can't come in the morning or the afternoon? We have both AM & PM sessions at all our sites, to fit busy Saturday schedules.

Russ Makofsky