Previously reserved for online learners, the Chess Institute of Canada (CIC) is bringing some of its premium classes into over-the-board learning.
In collaboration with the Annex Chess Club, CIC will begin offering in-person elite level training – starting with a free introductory evening – on Monday evenings.
Students will study under FIDE Master Michael Humphreys, an instructor of long standing with CIC. Since the sessions happen concurrent with the Annex Chess Club’s Monday chess evenings, participants can also play chess against some of the city’s most seasoned players following their lessons.
Humphreys is a seasoned chess player who has been teaching at the elite level for years – principally online. Starting during the COVID pandemic, Humphreys has seen many students grow and thrive through lessons delivered via Zoom, including several Canadian Youth Chess Championship finalists, two who progressed to the World Youth Chess Championships..
“There’s a lot of richness to teaching online,” Humphreys says. “It’s an entirely valid way to approach instruction, and I’ve seen my students grow and thrive through remote lessons.”
But there’s something to over-the-board instruction, and play, that can’t be underestimated. “High-tier play happens in person,” Humphreys says. “Just a few months ago, here in Toronto, we saw the FIDE Candidates tournament held here. This was a first of its kind in North America, and brought some of the world’s best players here to compete in person, over the board, with an audience.”
While there’s immense value to online learning, Humphreys feels that adapting to the physical cues, and presence, of in-person play has its own weight as students advance into the highest levels of play.
Elite instruction also provides continuity for the Chess Institute of Canada’s mission to provide more than chess instruction, but life skills and values through the medium of chess. “Focus, discipline, critical thinking, and emotional self-regulation are things that even chess masters continually work on,” Humphreys says. “Teaching at the upper echelons doesn’t mean dropping what makes CIC instruction unique. A focus on the life skills and values that reinforce great thinking, and great play, are more essential than ever.”
Registration for Monday-night classes is now open for the full session, for students who want to lock in one of these limited spots. Spaces for the free trial evening are limited; players who feel they are ready for this level of instruction can sign up for one of these spots, or a place on our waiting list below.
