The Everything Chess Basics Book (58 page)

How does someone become a Grandmaster?
The Grandmaster (GM) title is awarded by Q the World Chess Federation (FIDE) to players who have achieved consistently strong results in international competition. There are approximately fifty GMs in the United States, and there are less than 1,000 GMs in the entire world.

What is FIDE?
FIDE (pronounced fee-day), the acronym for the World Chess Fédération, stands for Fédération Internationale des Échecs. FIDE is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the governing body for international chess. FIDE organizes international chess championships, awards titles to successful players, and maintains ratings for the world’s top chess players. The members of FIDE are national chess federations like the USCF.

What is U.S. Chess Live?
U.S. Chess Live is the USCF’s official site for online chess, and it is available to all USCF members. To use the site, please visit
www.uschesslive.org
and download the free client software, and register. If you are not a USCF member, you will not be able to register. However, you will be able to log on to the site as a guest.

What kind of chess set and board should
I buy?
We recommend solid plastic pieces using the standard Staunton design and a vinyl roll-up board with algebraic notation on the side. Hollow plastic pieces should be avoided since they break easily. Beginners should also avoid themed chess sets such as the
Star Wars
chess set or the
Simpsons
chess set since these pieces may be difficult to recognize.

Should I buy chess books for my child?
Chess books are a very inexpensive way for Q your child to acquire tremendous amounts of chess knowledge. If you have to force your child to read a chess book, then forget it. However, if your child wants to read chess books, then you should buy them. You should buy books for your child that contain lots of explanations in English (or whatever your native language might be) and avoid books that contain long lines of cryptic chess analysis without any explanation.
Pawn and Queen and in Between
by Frank Elley is a great starter book for young beginners. Your young chess player can then move on to the chess training materials by Chester Nuhmentz. Teenage beginners may prefer to start with
Comprehensive Chess Course,
volumes one and two by Lev Alburt. Your child might also enjoy
Bobby
Fischer Teaches Chess
by Bobby Fischer, Stuart Margulies, and Donn Mosenfelder or
Winning Chess
Strategy’ for Kids
by Jeff Coakley. The USCF has a large collection of chess books available through the Web site
www.uschess.org
, the USCF catalog, or the sales hotline
1-800-388-KING (5464).

Should I hire a chess teacher for my child?
Hiring a chess teacher is one of the most Q effective ways to learn chess. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most expensive ways to learn chess. The fees that chess teachers charge vary depending upon the teacher’s knowledge, experience, and economic situation. Some nationally renowned chess teachers charge $80 per hour or more. If you know the rules of the game, you are fully qualified to be your child’s first chess teacher. When your child starts to beat you regularly at chess, you might want to consider hiring a professional chess teacher.

Can the USCF recommend a good chess
teacher?
The USCF usually does not recommend specific chess teachers. It is a national organization, and it often does not have information about the chess teachers in your local area. It recommends that you contact your state affiliate or your state scholastic coordinator. Links to state affiliate Web sites and state scholastic coordinators can be found at
www.uschess.org
.