Here, esteemed reader-coaches can download for free a series of popular articles that were published between 2002 and 2005, initially on the website of the then magazine a series of popular articles which were published in the years 2002-2005 first on the pages of the then magazine (under the editorship of Mr Štefan Gross), later also in ŠachInf (under the title Chess for Schools – School of Chess) led by Mr Ing. Břetislav Modr. Although this work primarily dealt with the selection.
of suitable (and of course also unsuitable) openings for your pupils, but it went much further, as the original title „Lights and Shadows of Children's Practice“ already indicated. (I must point out again – the series of articles does not have to be intended only for beginner juniors!)
In the magazine ŠachInfo a work was published in three parts, and you can download it like this:
Svetla_a_stiny_I (the first complete part)
Lights_and Shadows_II (second complete volume)
Lights_and_Shadows_III (third complete volume)
Note: The first series can also be downloaded by individual issues, as they were published sequentially. You can find them in the folder Lights_and_Shadows_I_by_issues.
The last freely downloadable file from the folder Vratislav_Hora_2004– can also be understood as a tribute to the legendary Czechoslovak, Czech and Moravian youth coach Ing. Vratislav Hora. In one of the issues of the first series magazine, he commented both on the quality of my work and on one specific variation.
I hope that the possibility to own and use this complete series – to have it at hand – will please many youth coaches. Over more than 10 years since the publication of the last lesson, dozens of coaches have contacted me – from Slovakia in particular, but also from other countries – who asked me to send a specific missing issue or even wanted to purchase the entire work...
Some coaches might again think that over those 10 years children's chess has changed beyond recognition (well, certainly, the phenomenon of computers, information...) and therefore the work is outdated!
I must honestly admit that today I would certainly revise my work in many places! However... the culprit is not primarily the increase in technical sophistication or processor speed, or the performance of computer programmes, but rather a further decline in the average playing level of children and youth (intelligence, comprehension, reading difficulties, reduced ability to concentrate...), and this in all categories without exception!
From a different perspective – for example: what is called in the work a coaching offence, today we would had to tolerate, because there even exist...coaching crimes! An example can be the most widespread one (for which the relevant authority should perhaps even revoke licences J): teaching young inexperienced pupils exclusively or almost exclusively openings and systems that the „coach“ plays himself in practice...
Overview, of everything that can be downloaded:
Svetla_a_stiny_I (first part)
Lights_and Shadows_II (second part)
Lights_and_Shadows_III (third part)
Lights_and_Shadows_I_by_issues
