6 months ago

FREE weekly chess online workshop

This is for beginners rated below 1000

Are you struggling to improve in chess? Then come to my FREE online chess workshop on Zoom every Wednesday from 9:30pm to 11pm PST! I'll be happy to analyze your chess games, teach you opening traps, teach you endgame techniques, and more!
Please remember this is a supportive learning environment. My last name is Goodkind and I am a good and kind person. I want you to be good and kind to me and others in the workshop!
Any inappropriate comments are not tolerated!

Here's more details:
Who: This workshop is for beginners, who are rated under 1000. If you are rated above 1000 or if you are unrated, you are still welcome to come!
Where: on Zoom.
When: Every Wednesday at 9:30pm PST.

How do I sign up?
Click HERE to sign up for the FREE workshop.

Even though this workshop is FREE, a $15 donation is suggested. Thanks in advance! This is how I can recieve your donation:

You can Venmo me here.
You can Zelle me by using my email address: laurengoodkindchess@gmail.com
You can PayPal by clicking here.

1 year ago

How chess benefits kids

Read this article!

Chess is a game that has been enjoyed by people of all ages for centuries. But did you know that chess can also be a great way to benefit kids?

Here are some of the ways that chess can benefit kids:

**Improves cognitive skills. Chess requires a variety of cognitive skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, planning, and memory. Playing chess can help to improve these skills, which can benefit kids in other areas of their lives, such as school, work, and everyday problem-solving.

**Increases concentration and focus. Playing chess requires kids to focus on the game and to think ahead. This can help to improve concentration and focus, which can be beneficial in other areas of their lives, such as studying or working.

**Teaches discipline and perseverance. Chess is a game that requires discipline and perseverance. Kids must learn to follow the rules and to keep trying even when they are losing. This can teach valuable life lessons about discipline and perseverance.

**Promotes strategic thinking. Chess requires kids to think strategically about their moves. This can help to improve strategic thinking skills, which can be beneficial in other areas of life, such as business and problem-solving.

**Develops problem-solving skills. Chess requires kids to solve problems. Kids must learn to identify problems, generate solutions, and evaluate the best solution. This can help to improve problem-solving skills, which can be beneficial in a variety of areas of life.

**Builds self-confidence. Winning a chess game can be a great boost to self-confidence. Kids who learn to play chess and improve their skills can gain a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence.

**Teaches sportsmanship. Chess is a game that teaches sportsmanship. Kids must learn to win and lose gracefully, and to respect their opponents. This can help to promote sportsmanship in other areas of life. Improves academic performance. Studies have shown that kids who play chess tend to have better academic performance than kids who do not play chess. This is because chess helps to improve cognitive skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, which are also important for academic success.

If you are looking for a fun and challenging game that can also benefit your child, then chess is a great option. There are many resources available to help kids learn to play chess, and there are chess clubs and tournaments all over the world. So what are you waiting for? Get your child started with chess today!

Here are some additional tips for getting your child started with chess:

Find a good chess book or online tutorial to help your child learn the basics of the game. Contact me for more info.
Practice regularly. The more your child plays, the better they will become. Send me your kid's chess game and I'll analyze it for free on my Twitch channel.
Join a chess club or find a chess partner for your child to play with.
Don't be afraid to lose. Losing is a part of learning.
Have fun! Chess is a great game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. I have played a chess game with a 5 year old before. A long time ago, I played a game against an old man in his 90s!

I hope this blog post has convinced you of the many benefits of chess for kids. If you are interested in getting your child started with chess, I encourage you to check out the resources I have mentioned.

1 year ago

My super long black and white chess scarf!

The scarf is over 412 feet long!

In June 2019, I flew to Chicago to visit my aunt for several days. She loves to crochet and I wanted to learn how, so she taught me at her house. I remember she taught me the single crochet stitch with pretty chunky yarn. This was my first time picking up a crochet hook. At first, my stitches were pretty uneven and a little messy, but I kept at it. I continued to crochet at home and sometimes at a local crochet group. Eventually, my stitches started to look much neater. Over time, I made a variety of scarfs and beanies using the single crochet stitch. I proudly gave them away to family members, friends, and some of my chess students.

One of my missions in life is to inspire millions of people around the world in a positive way. In order to do this, I want to do something extraordinary. Since I enjoyed crocheting, I thought maybe I could crochet the longest crochet scarf by an individual.

After taking a look at the official Guinness World Records website I learned that the official world record at that time was 150 meters, or about 492.126 feet long. I thought that this record was reasonable to beat, so I officially applied to try to beat the record.

Several months later, Guinness World Records officially accepted my application and I started my scarf on November 19, 2019. Now during a typical week, I work on this scarf almost every day. When I wasn’t crocheting, I was often teaching chess to kids and adults who lived in many areas in the United States. I also played tennis and did other hobbies.
Since I am a chess teacher, chess book author, YouTube/Twitch livestreamer, I hoped that my crocheting and chess would “meet” and others would be inspired. And, yes, my scarf has a chess theme: almost all of the yarn balls in this scarf are black and white – the same colors as a typical chess board.
Like successful chess, I wanted to be consistent with the presentation of my scarf. All the yarn I used and will continue to use will always be Red Heart Soft Yarn and Red Heart Super Saver Yarn. All the yarn I used and will continue to use will always be created by Yarnspirations.
By October 2021, I had completed about 244 feet and that’s when I received a surprise. A lady from the United Kingdom officially broke the world record. Her super long crochet scarf was 646 feet and 7 inches. In March 2023, another lady from the United Kingdom broke the official world record. Her crochet scarf is 834 feet and 8 inches.

At the time of this writing, which is June 2023, my super long crochet scarf is about 414 feet long and I am proudly currently working on my 208th yarn ball. On average, I complete one yarn or two yarn balls per week. Did you know that 410 feet is longer than an American football field? Since I average about 100 feet per year, it would probably take me about 4 to 5 years to get the scarf to be around 835 feet long for a new shot at the record. Unfortunately, I don’t want to commit another 4 to 5 years (I’d rather be doing other interesting things in life) to get my scarf to be over 835 feet in length. There is also a possibility that the world record could officially be broken again. For these reasons, my official goal is get my scarf to be 500 feet in length, and thus officially beat my initial goal of beating the world record of 492.126 feet long, the record when I started.

Once my scarf is about 500 feet long, I am assuming that this will be North America’s longest crochet scarf by an individual! I want the scarf to be displayed at a public place, such as a major airport terminal tunnel (By the way, I love airplanes and airports), a famous museum, a lobby at a huge company, or something similar.

I am very confident that if my finished scarf is displayed in a public place, this will be a positive inspiration for others! Since my scarf is primarily black and white, I’m sure the scarf will inspire others to play chess. The 100th yarn ball is primarily pink in color because pink is my favorite color. The 200th yarn ball in my scarf is dark blue. The 201th yarn ball is light blue. I chose the color blue because blue means ocean. I want people to take care of the oceans. I want people to believe in themselves, think big and go for their dreams in their life. I want to inspire more people to play chess.

Please join me on my livestream and watch me get my super long scarf to 500 feet. I usually live stream mostly on weekday mornings and some evenings. Click here to get to my YouTube crochet channel! Please join me on my livestream and watch me get my super long scarf to 500 feet. I usually live stream mostly on weekday mornings and sometimes evenings.

1 year ago

Let's learn more about world chess champion Ding Liren

He's the first player from China to become world chess champion!

Ding Liren is a Chinese chess grandmaster who recently became the 2023 World Chess Champion. He has a bright future in front of him! He is the very first person from China to become world chess champion. On a side note, my grandparents are from China but I have never been to China myself. I hope to visit China one day, but not anytime soon. Ding was born in Wenzhou, China in 1992 and started playing chess at the age of four. I consider 4 years old to be very young to learn chess! A long time ago, I tried to teach a 4 year old chess and that 4 year old was too young to learn chess. I guess it depends on the individual since everybody is different.

Ding quickly showed a talent for the game and won his first national title at the age of 12. In 2009, he became a grandmaster at the age of 16, making him the youngest grandmaster in China at the time. Ding has continued to achieve success in chess throughout his career. He has won numerous tournaments, including the World Cup in 2017 and the Sinquefield Cup in 2019. He has also been ranked as high as number two in the world.

Ding is a well-rounded chess player who is known for his strong opening preparation, his positional play, and his endgame technique. He is also a very active player who is always looking for ways to create counterplay. Ding is a role model for many young chess players around the world. He is proof that anyone can achieve success in chess, regardless of their age or background. If you are interested in learning to play chess, Ding is a great player to study and learn from.

How to Learn to Play Chess

If you are interested in learning to play chess, there are a few things you can do to get started:
1. Learn the basic rules of the game. There are many resources available online and in libraries that can help you with this. Contact me for chess lessons.
2. Practice regularly. The more you play, the better you will become. When you play chess, make sure that you play with a slow time control, such as G/10 or longer. G/10 means that you have 10 minutes to think for the entire game. Do not play with a fast time control, such as G/5 because you won't have enough time to think properly.
3. Find a chess mentor or coach who can help you improve your game. A good coach can help you identify your weaknesses and develop a plan to improve. Contact me for chess lessons. I have been teaching chess for the last ten years to kids and adults.
4. Don't give up! Chess is a challenging game, but it is also very rewarding. Winning is always an awesome feeling. Losing is part of the game and a lot of people don't like to lose, including myself. If you lose, treat it as a losing experience.
Here are some additional tips that may help you learn to play chess:
* Study the games of the great masters. This is a great way to learn new strategies and tactics.
* Analyze your own games. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Send me your chess games so I can analyze it for free on my YouTube chess channel. This is a great way to get better.
* Don't be afraid to experiment. Try new things and see what works for you. Try new openings and see what openings you like. Openings are all about personal preference. For example, I love to play the Ponziani as white, but some people may not like playing Ponziani and prefer to play something else, such as the London System.
* Have fun! Chess is a game, after all. If playing chess wasn't fun, I wouldn't be playing it.
I hope these tips help you on your journey to becoming a chess player.

Let me know what you think about Ding Liren by commenting below.

Lauren has been enjoying teaching chess to kids and adults for over nine years. Lauren has also written two chess books for beginner chess players, which are endorsed by respected chess masters. WGM Jennifer Shahade, WGM Jennifer Yu, FM James Eade and other top chess players have endorsed "Queen For A Day: The Girl's Guide To Chess Mastery". Lauren also enjoys livestreaming on her YouTube chess channel.
Join Me On: YouTube, Chess.com, Facebook, Amazon book page