Games: 5294

Avg # Games Per Year: 212

@ or Up: 12.18%

PPGAP: 5.51

Keep %: 57.3

@ or Up Keep %: 27.68%

HGYR: 277

HGYRI: 114

Win %: 52.1%

Draw %: 9.78%

Loss %: 38.12%

Amateur + K: 769/56

Rating High + K: 1868/27

Rating Low + K: 1320/44

Category 4: 6

Category 3: 3

Reflections: 3rd Graders! This will be their last year of K-3. Now recording a game is mandatory, even in scholastic events! We should have passed the idea of having an accurate score sheet and going over the games a while ago. We had 9 Category qualifiers in this group. The lowest number of games for Category 4 was 132 with a peak rating of 1532. The lowest number of games for category 3 was 252 with a peak rating of 1739. The highest number of games played with no Category being achieved was 506! The transition to tournaments open to adults and children should have begun. With a range of 1320 – 1868 that’s the only place they will be able to get rating points and category norms.

For these kids the fascination is still there, but winning is becoming more difficult. Rewards need to be switched from score sheets and attitude to preparation. Because they are getting more creative about how they characterize everything, it’s time to start requiring a log. If a log is too intense, then use Chess.com”s tools to monitor their activity. You don’t need to know how to play chess to do that!! The kids are looking for answers and short cuts but are not organized and/or disciplined enough to find them. The other challenge they face is not having anyone around that can beat them and teach them between tournaments. At this point they need a tournament coach or a much stronger tournament player to help them with openings, tournament strategies, and performance expectations.

Now is the perfect time to introduce the 60/40 or 40/60 rule to them. To dominate at this level is easy if they know how to play, analyze, reflect, repair, and repeat. Here is where you have to start making them understand that what they need to do is supposed to be accomplished with as few games as humanly possible.

A 1320 playing @ or Up would go to 1347, 1354, and 1360. An 1868 playing A or Up would go to 1884, 1889, 1893. So now we have 27, 34, and 40 points for a win. And for the high we have 16, 21, and 25. The higher the rating, the fewer the points. Playing up is now a must instead of a luxury!

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