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MAIN PACKAGES

45 € / 4500 ₽

Ages 7+

8 lessons

33 € / 3300 ₽

Ages 4-7

8 lessons

About PRACTICE!

VERY IMPORTANT! PRACTICE! We recommend, we ask, we insist that you ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO PLAY (ideally in the first half of the day) at a time control of 15+10 or slower.

The instructions also point out the ”play with a friend” option, so that in the first six months, as well as facing strangers, your child plays more games with mum, dad, grandad or a friend.

Games are not to be played without the coach’s go-ahead. They should start AFTER 1-2 months of lessons, once the coach says the student is ready.

HOW MUCH SHOULD THEY PLAY???

First 1-2 months of lessons – 0 games a day, puzzles only.
After 2 months of lessons – 1-2 games a day.
After 6-12 months of lessons – AT LEAST 2 games a day, and more if possible (the more the better).

Together we want to build a habit in your child: “I think I’ll go and play a couple of games and relax a bit”. If you have run into a fear of failure and need some motivation, here is a detailed webinar for parents from our psychologist.

WORTH KNOWING! Regular practice is an essential part of a chess player’s development at any level.

Fear of failure

In chess everyone wins. If you enjoy the game – and that is the main thing – then even a defeat is nothing to fear. David Bronstein

That is exactly what chess is. Today you teach your opponent a lesson, tomorrow he teaches you one. Robert James Fischer

Tips:

Chess is not only a game, it is also a sporting contest. The moment a game starts, start thinking – you must not spend time on moves made “just because”.

Watch carefully not only your own possible moves, but also what your opponent is doing and wants to do. Then you will make fewer mistakes and get in the way of their plans. Your opponent’s weakness is your strength.

When you are playing, make sure nothing is distracting you. Look away from the board just once and your concentration is gone – and the whole game is spoiled. The more attentive you are at the board, the better you play.

Chess has three results – a win, a loss and a draw. In every case there are useful lessons to take from the game: going through your mistakes is what makes a good player.

Now about the fear of failure:

Keep a positive attitude: Make sure your child understands that winning is not the only thing that matters – enjoying the game and learning from mistakes matter too. Point out that every game is a chance to grow and improve.
Talk about setbacks as chances to learn: Help your child see that a setback is not the end, but a chance to understand their mistakes and move forward.
Help your child manage their emotions: Tell your child that fear and nerves before a first game are completely natural. Share your own stories about overcoming fear and about believing in yourself. Help them learn to relax, breathe deeply and focus on the game.

It is important to support your child and to remember that the learning and the taking part matter more than the final result.

A detailed webinar for parents from our psychologist

We recommend, we ask, we insist that you ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO SOLVE CHESS PUZZLES. Our coaches also remind students about these puzzles regularly and check them.

As motivation you can promise different rewards: a walk in the park if your child reaches a rating of 1400, say, or a trip to the circus at 1500. At the same time, keep reminding them that your child is doing this for themselves. So sometimes the reward can simply be a hug and the words” WELL DONE!”.

LINK to extra puzzles from the school on a range of themes. (If the student is a beginner and is opening it for the first time, choose the easiest level, see the instructions here.

Tournaments and games

Students need more practice after their lessons, so they should be playing more:

In their free time with parents or against an unknown opponent online: 1-2 games in the morning, or in the evening before bed. ALWAYS REMIND YOUR CHILD: “How about a game of chess?”
Tournaments (once the coach decides the student is ready for tournaments, the school management will tell you and you will start receiving tournament invitations).
We suggest studying online with our programme, but also trying to play in offline tournaments in your area or city from time to time: simply find a chess school on Yandex Maps, go along once to get to know them, and then follow that school’s TOURNAMENT calendar.

Here are some tournament portals as well, which may help you in your search.

International tournaments 1. https://ratings.ruchess.ru/tournaments 2. https://ruchess.ru/championship 3. http://chessopen.ru/tournaments 4. https://chessresults.ru/ru/tournaments 5. https://www.fide.com/calendar

Belarus – https://openchess.by, https://reshay.by/timetables Germany – https://www.schachbund.de Moscow – https://moscowchess.org, https://chessresults.ru Saint Petersburg – http://totalchess.spb.ru Krasnodar – https://chess-kk.ru Yekaterinburg – https://ural-chess.com Vladimir – https://vladimirchess.ru Nizhny Novgorod – https://www.nnchess.org Samara – http://www.samara-chess.ru Kazan – http://www.tat-chess.ru

Before travelling to a city or regional tournament, please always agree it with us in advance. We will check with the coach whether your child is ready for that level, or whether they should still be playing in local club events. It happens very often that parents go straight to a regional event, the child loses there, gets very upset and blames the school for teaching them badly.

Ararat International School works on a new, high-end, modern platform: there is nothing to print out or photograph. We have freed parents from that chore and given children the chance to do their homework on the computer, in the form of a game.

And most importantly, students learn from the school’s own training programme, created, edited and refined from time to time by Armenian and Russian grandmasters, led by World and European Champion Elina Danielian.

How to do the homework

Give your child the task EXACTLY in this form. Say: “I need you to do your homework*for example by Thursday 21:00 and show it to me, DO IT WHENEVER YOU LIKE” – so that they come to you of their own accord when they feel like it and say they want to do the homework, or, if they already manage without difficulty, so that they do it and show you. THIS IS IMPORTANT – PLEASE DO NOT FORCE THEM TO DO THE HOMEWORK ON A PARTICULAR DAY. And if they do not remember, do not do it and do not remind you, then for example on Thursday at 21:00, when you ask where the homework is and there is none, you calmly say: fine, sit down and do it now, however late it takes, until it is finished.

While they are solving the tasks you may help a little, if you are sure you can explain things correctly; even so, *we do not advise practising your coaching skills,* because a wrong explanation from a parent later means double the work for the teacher. We are aiming for independence.

If a lesson is missed, we provide the video recording of the lesson and only 70% of the lesson fee is charged.

Nothing is charged at all, and we still provide the video recording of the lesson, if: 1. The child is ill and the parents provide a MEDICAL NOTE! (The administrator recalculates and cancels every charge covered by the note, but until the note arrives the charges do apply). 2. You told the administrator IN ADVANCE and froze the account! (A long holiday or a break of 15 days or more; note that after a break of 30 days or more the group may have to be changed).

To keep up with the group, in both cases you must: 1. Watch the video recording of the lesson (all the parent has to do is press play). 2. Do the homework.

How to prepare your child for a tournament

How to work with your child’s fears:

Do not set high expectations for your child. Do not tell them they have to beat a stronger opponent. Focus on your child enjoying the game and finding their best moves.
Encourage your child. Value the effort, not only the result. Praise them for a good move or for finding an interesting combination.
Talk to your child. Ask what is worrying them and help them work through their fears. Tell them about your own experiences of playing chess.
Do not put pressure on your child. Let them play at their own pace and do not make them play too many games if they do not want to.
To calm down and focus on the game, try a breathing exercise: breathe out for longer than you breathe in. And if you need to gather yourself and get going, do the opposite: a long breath in and a quick breath out. Repeat a few times.

How to prepare for a tournament.

An upcoming tournament is a tense time for every player. What matters is not only being ready for the games themselves, but also keeping your self-control and staying calm and unruffled, however things go at the board. The winner is not the one who is better prepared, but the one who stays calmer and steadier.

Chess is a mental sport, but physical preparation matters just as much. Regular exercise helps improve concentration, stamina and overall fitness. It is a good idea to arrive at the tournament about 30 minutes early and take a short walk — stretch your legs and warm up.

The more you play, the more confident you will feel at a tournament. Find a partner and play as often as you can. Find a sparring partner for your child. Take part in tournaments. A child for whom tournaments are routine has an advantage over one who plays rarely: he will be calmer and more focused. If there is no sparring partner at hand, you can always simply play online.

Study the openings and talk to other players. And not only their games. Watch how the other players behave, how they tune themselves in for a game. Who is focused. Who is afraid and nervous. Who gets distracted. Use your opponents’ weak spots. Follow not only the board, but the opponent as well. Chess is not a game on the board alone — it is also a psychological duel between two people. You have to learn not to show your own emotions, and to learn to read your opponent’s reactions. Is he tense, deep in thought? Is he uneasy, rubbing his forehead? Is he pleased with himself and clearly planning something?

Before the tournament, try to relax and let go of stress. Meditation, yoga, deep breathing and other techniques all help to ease the tension.

Before a tournament it is important to set yourself up for success. Confidence and optimism can lift your performance.That is why at the decisive moment it is always important to say “Stop!” to negative thoughts and turn towards positive ones. Stress can stand in the way of your best results, but it can also be seen as a sign that the situation is asking you to show what you are capable of.Keep the conversation inside your own head a positive one:Replace “I am not able to do this” with “I will learn”Replace “I am going to lose” with “I will get a result and learn something from it”Drop words like “stupid”, “blind”, “clumsy” from your vocabulary and replace them with “how can I do this better”, “what should I change to get a different result”, “what is stopping me from winning”?Take a few deep breaths and picture, as vividly as you can, a calm and confident game: you are guiding the play and staying in control of what happens on the board.

At the tournament, try to focus on the game and not think about anything else. Play your own game and trust your knowledge and your experience. Nothing around you, no outside sound, should distract you.

Find support in your friends or your coach. They can help you keep a positive mindset and stay motivated throughout the tournament.

Do not be afraid of losing. Treat every game as experience and learn from your own mistakes. That is what will make your play better in the future. Everyone loses. It happens. But a lost game can become a springboard for future wins.

It can be hard to take, especially for those who are aiming for high results. But it is worth remembering that defeat is part of the game and that even the best players lose. Here are a few things that can help you keep a positive attitude after a lost game:

1. Analyse your mistakes. Try to understand what exactly went wrong in your game. That will help you avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future.2. Do not dwell on the loss. Think about the games ahead and about how you can improve your play. Every new game is a new opportunity. 3. Talk to your coach or your friends. Share your thoughts and feelings after a loss. Sometimes you simply need to speak it out and hear a word of support. 4. Do not compare yourself with others. Every player has their own strengths and weaknesses. Concentrate on your own game and improve it instead of measuring yourself against other players. Watch how your play is growing, how your result gets better from one time to the next. Set yourself realistic goals. 5. Do not lose your motivation. Remember that a defeat is not the end. Keep training and keep working on your game. The next game may well be your win.

What matters is not whether we lose the game, but how we lose it, how we change because of it, what new things we take away for ourselves and how we can bring them into other games. In a strange way, a defeat turns into a victory.R. Bach

It can have all sorts of causes: doubts about your own ability, the worry that your opponent is better than you are. Here is how to deal with the fear of facing a stronger player:

1. Prepare thoroughly. The better you prepare for a game, the more confident you will feel. You may need more time for training, for studying the openings and for going through the games of strong players. 2. Let go of negative thoughts. Keep your own strengths in mind and do not dwell on the idea that you might lose. Focus on the game and enjoy it. 3. Set yourself realistic goals. Do not make it your task to beat a stronger opponent; concentrate instead on finding a good move or playing an interesting combination. 4. Stay calm. Do not panic if your opponent starts making moves you do not understand. Simply concentrate on your own game and keep thinking about your next moves. 5. Talk to your coach. He can help you make sense of your fears and give you advice on improving your play.

If your child shows no interest in the online lessons and does not want to study, here are a few tips that may help you get them in the right frame of mind:

1. Set clear expectations: Explain to your child that they are expected to take part in the online lessons and to do the homework. Set out clear rules and expectations around their studies, and explain that this is their responsibility.

2. Appeal to their interests: Try to connect what they are learning with your child’s interests and hobbies. Look for ways to make the material more appealing and more meaningful to them. Use real-life examples and apps that tie in with what they enjoy.

3. Create incentives and rewards: Put together a system of incentives and rewards (for example when the student raises their rating by another 50 points) to recognise your child’s effort and progress. It can be something simple: a word of praise, or time for a favourite activity once the task is finished.

4. Set a regular routine: Give their studies some structure by setting a regular schedule for doing the tasks. Help your child get used to a particular time and place for studying.

5. Be their support and their resource: Offer your help and support while they study. Be available to answer questions, explain things and help with tasks. Help them set up the best conditions for studying, with a quiet and comfortable place to work.

6. Encourage independence and responsibility: Gradually hand more responsibility for their studies over to your child. Encourage their independence and the growth of their planning, organisation and time-management skills.

7. Work together with the school: Talk to us to get guidance and advice on motivating your child effectively. Work out a joint plan of action to support their efforts and their progress. Always write and tell us how the school can help you.

8. Set limits on screen time: Keep an eye on how devices are used during study time. Set time limits so that your child is not distracted by social media or entertainment apps while studying.

9. Order some extra chess books from the library we recommend: books will draw your child even further into the learning process.

What to do if your child wins a prize

We know that your active support and involvement play a big part in your child’s success. Your encouragement and congratulations will help them feel proud of what they have achieved and keen to keep growing in chess.

Here is what we suggest you do to celebrate your child’s success:

Congratulate them in person: First and most important – congratulate your child yourself. Tell them how proud and happy their win has made you. Say what you see in their diligence, their work and their progress.
Share the news with family and friends: Tell the people close to you about the wonderful result your child has achieved in chess. They care about your child’s success too and will be glad to hear the news.
Send the good news, diplomas and certificates to the group chat and to the school administrator: We can announce it in our online school and publish a post (with your additional permission) to congratulate your child on their tournament win. It is a wonderful chance to share the achievement with friends and other students, and to show that effort and work in chess pay off.
Hold a small ceremony: Ask your child to share their impressions and their experience with the other students. It can be a short ceremony where your child talks about what they achieved and shows their winning games to the rest of the school.
Set new goals: Work out new goals and challenges together with your child. Help them set higher standards for themselves and encourage them to keep developing and improving in chess.

We sincerely hope these suggestions help you celebrate your child’s success and support them on the way to even greater things. Congratulations once again to you and your child, and thank you for your trust in and support of our online school.

1. Set an example: Show your child the right way to behave and the right attitude to learning. Be attentive and polite during the online lessons, so that your child has your good behaviour to follow.

2. Talk to your child about their behaviour in the lesson. Explain that it matters to show respect for the coach and the other participants, and to follow the rules of conduct. A conversation about consequences: talk with your child about how bad behaviour can affect their own learning and their relationship with the coach and the other participants. Stress how much taking part in the lessons matters, and how many learning opportunities can be missed because of poor behaviour.

Set clear expectations: work out a set of rules and expectations for the lesson together with your child. They should cover speaking respectfully, not interrupting others and listening attentively to the coach. Try to make sure your child understands these rules and accepts them.

3. Agree on consequences: Discuss with your child what may follow from bad behaviour in a lesson. That might mean being taken out of a lesson for a while, losing certain privileges, or extra tasks to make up for it. It is important to be consistent and fair when you apply these consequences.

4. Share it with the school administration, and the school will help you present a united front in supporting your child.

5. Reward good behaviour: Encourage and praise your child when they behave well in a lesson. Positive reinforcement and praise can motivate a child to keep behaving well.

6. Look for the possible causes: Try to find out whether there is a specific reason behind your child’s behaviour in the lesson. Perhaps they are struggling with the material, or feeling afraid or unsure of themselves. Pay attention to these factors and try to support them in dealing with the problem.

7. Consistency and patience: Changing behaviour takes time and patience. Be consistent in your expectations and your rewards, and remember that children change gradually. Be patient and support your child as they build good habits and the motivation to learn. It is important to remember that every child is different.

8. If the behaviour problem continues, contact the school administration. Talk the situation through with them and ask for advice or extra support in resolving it.

*Every child is different, and the causes of behaviour problems and the ways to solve them differ too. Please feel free to turn to a psychologist or another specialist for more individual help in your situation.

Where to watch video broadcasts of chess tournaments?

Following the live broadcasts of chess tournaments online is an exciting and instructive way to watch the games and study the moves of the masters.

Live broadcast | chess24.com follow the link, pick a tournament that is live and enjoy the chess, or look through the calendar so you can catch a broadcast another time.

If the tournament is a big one, YouTube will also have plenty of channels broadcasting it in different languages.

* If, after clicking on the tournament link, it is not possible to click on the button “Join”:

Check if your rating matches the rating of the tournament.
If the rating matches, but next to your rating there is a question mark, then you need to play 30-50 games for the chess engine to determine the player’s level and remove the question mark, then you can will participate in tournaments.
Optional! We advise you to study the difference, for example, if a player does not have a question mark with a blitz rating, but this is a rapid tournament, and the player has a question mark next to the rapid rating, then it also does not get to participate in the tournament.

* If, after following the tournament link, you cannot click the “Join” button:

Check whether your rating matches the rating range of the tournament.
If the rating matches but there is a question mark next to your rating, then you need to play 30-50 games so that the chess engine can establish the player’s level and remove the question mark; after that you will be able to take part in tournaments.
One more thing! We advise you to look at the difference: for example, if a player has no question mark next to their blitz rating but the tournament is a rapid one, and there is a question mark next to their rapid rating, then they will not be able to take part either.

* Եթե մրցաշարի հղումով անցնելուց հետո հնարավոր չէ սեղմել <<Մասնակցել>> կոճակը.

Ստուգեք, արդյոք ձեր վարկանիշը համապատասխանում է մրցաշարի վարկանիշին:
Եթե վարկանիշը համապատասխանում է, բայց վարկանիշի կողքին կա հարցական նշան, ապա պետք է խաղալ 30-50 պարտիա, որպեսզի շախմատային շարժիչը որոշի խաղացողի մակարդակը և հանի հարցական նշանը, այնուհետև կարող եք մասնակցել մրցաշարին:
Լրացուցիչ! Խորհուրդ ենք տալիս ուսումնասիրել տարբերությունը, օրինակ, եթե խաղացողը չունի հարցական նշան բլից վարկանիշում, բայց մրցաշարը արագ ֆորմատով է, և խաղացողը ունի հարցական նշան արագ ֆորմատի վարկանիշի կողքին, դա նշանակում է, որ խաղացողը չի կարողանա մասնակցել մրցաշարին։

COMING SOON!

*Which chess books to buy alongside the lessons.
*How and from which positions to play at home if the parent is much stronger or much weaker than the child?
*He lost a tournament, or lost to grandad, and got upset.
*How to analyse your own games properly.
*What a low-motivation phase is and how to get through it.
*What our school’s Little Champions project is.
*How to build a daily routine.