Master Secrets: Trading Pieces
Chess games are often won and lost during a series of captures.  Sometimes such sequences allow one player to win material.  Other exchanging sequences "only" change the pieces that make up each army.  Since such trades do not change the material balance, non-master players often decide they are "equal" and swap the pieces with no further thought.  Masters, however, know that all trades have to be considered carefully.  They know that some "equal trades" have as much impact on winning the game as trades that result in material gain.  "What pieces do I want to keep, and what pieces do I want to trade?" is one of the fundamental questions strong players use to find their way in both simple and complex positions.  WinterCamp 2011 focuses on the crucial, and vastly undervalued, skill of making "even trades" that move you closer to victory.  We'll explore games played by the great masters, and develop guidelines for making good trades (and avoiding bad ones).  WinterCamp 2011 is a workshop for improving your practical results through extensive "hands-on" training with puzzles, exercise positions to play out, and formal competition.

Study Groups
Campers are divided into study/play groups based on their age and experience. Some of our students are state champions (we’ve trained 45 of them), and others are figuring out how the pieces move. We treasure each and every one of them. In the end, it’s always all about the kids.

Dates & Hours
WinterCamp 2011 will be December 27-29, 2011 (the Tuesday through Thursday after Christmas), and runs from 9:00-3:00 each day. We also provide supervised chess play from 8:00-9:00 am and 3:00-4:00 pm at no additional cost.

What to bring
Campers should bring lunch, snacks for morning and afternoon breaks, and a water bottle..