We are thrilled to be able to offer free chess support to beginning players. This aims to be a neurodiversity-affirming, LGBTQIA+ friendly, and generally inclusive programme!

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About the tutor: Sam Brandsen (he/him) completed his Ph.D. in theoretical physics some time ago and has since focused on autism research. Sam is autistic himself and has found a great deal of joy in discovering chess over the past year.

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While Sam is by no means a chess expert (his current rapid rating on Lichess is 1244), he very much enjoys sharing the knowledge he has and has provided occasional informal chess lessons at his child's school. More generally, he is fascinated by how to make chess more accessible.

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What specific services are we offering?:  

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1. Personalised video tutorials on how to play chess or chess variants, specific topics (e.g. forks, pins, checkmates), and/or personalised creation or compilation of chess puzzles on a specific topic-- I'm happy to try and adjust the format of this to make it more accessible based on your feedback

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2. While unfortunately availability is more limited for live meetings, I'm happy to try and find a time to meet to play a game or offer live virtual tutoring for adults or children with their caregiver present

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3. Free review or analysis of your games for those who are just starting (e.g. identifying areas of strength in your games, potential ways to strengthen your playing further, etc.)

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4. Casual chess and conversation

Not everyone is looking for tutoring or chess improvement! I'm also happy to play casual games with people-- including more advanced players who don't mind playing a relatively newer player. Conversation is welcome but of course completely optional. 

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(This is intended purely as a recreational activity rather than as counselling, therapy, or any other form of professional support.)

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What accessibility features can I offer?

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1. Flexible format of chess support (e.g. videos, live virtual meetings with or without breaks, creating a study on Lichess, corresponding through email)

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2. Captions for videos

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3. Flexibility with the pace of how new concepts are explained or introduced, plain language explanations

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4. Incorporating other special or intense interests into chess if desired! (E.g. if someone loves trains and wants to learn chess, making a video where trains are playing chess or the chess pieces somehow relate to trains or so on)

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5. Adjustments to the layout of the board (e.g. there are variants with more or fewer pieces or different rules); adjustment to the colour or shape of pieces to the extent that I can find online platforms which allow for these adjustments

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6. A collaborative approach-- while I am not qualified to provide formal tutoring for competitive players, I'm happy to help people with a variety of other goals (e.g. improving at chess/increasing one's rating, finding ways to enjoy chess without an emphasis on rating, using chess as a way to relax, or simply having a conversation while playing chess.)

 

7. I also try to be as open to ongoing feedback or other accessibility suggestions as possible! ​

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Limitations:

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While I'm happy to try to adapt my approach, I might not be the best fit for someone looking for a very intuitive, spontaneous, or highly outgoing approach to tutoring (due to my own personality being somewhat the opposite!).

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And because of schedule constraints, I unfortunately might not be able to provide very frequent ongoing Chess support. ​

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What are the benefits of chess? 

 

For some people, chess can be a great form of stress relief and can build confidence and problem solving. It is also a beautiful and fascinating game!

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Questions/Interest? Please don't hesitate to contact Sam Brandsen at sambrandsen7@gmail.com with any questions or interest, and we will get back to you shortly!