Hrtha: Free Chess Lessons from Her Coaches

“On Thursday, July 14th, Her Move Next’s (HMN’s) newest program for players of all strengths, Her Coaches, had its first session. Her Coaches is a series of [free] classes run this summer by seven girls in middle and high school…”

BY HRTHA RAJIV
GREAT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
HER LEAGUE MEMBER & HER NEWS COLUMNIST

2022 KCF ALL-GIRLS NATIONALS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP
Left to right: Coach Simone, Coach Aliya, Coach Indira, and Coach Rose

On Thursday, July 14th, Her Move Next’s (HMN’s) newest program for players of all strengths, Her Coaches, had its first session. Her Coaches is a series of classes run this summer by seven girls in middle and high school: Aliya, Simone, Bhavya, Indira, Mahika, Rose, and myself. Each coach has years of experience in playing tournaments; to learn more about them, click here. This free class occurs on Thursdays from five to six p.m. EST, but if that time is inconvenient, an alternate time to attend the class is Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. EST. Currently, there are three groups that players can be assigned to: Group A, B and C. Each group will work on an area of the game. In addition, all the coaches will provide homework assignments for their groups, including a number of games and puzzles to be completed for the week. To sign up for the Her Coaches program, click here.

I interviewed Coach Simone over email and our conversation can be viewed below:

1. Q) How did the Her Coaches Program come to be?
A) The idea to start Her Coaches came from a summer ago, when I was teaching my cousins, Mairead and Siobhan Manning, their classmates, and friends chess. We formed the Henderson Chess Club, named after the school they went to. My sister Rose Morden and I each taught half of them. We were quarantining due to Covid when we started teaching our cousins chess because they needed to pass time and we were available all summer. Since their school was just beginning to form a chess club, Rose and I decided that along with Mairead and Siobhan, we could teach their classmates as well. We set up Zoom meetings, taught once a week, and even expanded to some of Mairead and Siobhan’s friends as well. Then the school year restarted and the Henderson Chess Club eventually disbanded. Towards the end of the school year of 2021, my friends and fellow HMN members, Indira and Aliya, started working on HMN projects such as Her Team [a team of four HMN players, including my sister, who competed in the 2022 US Amateur Team East] and Her Live Twitch. So when I informed them about the Henderson Chess Club, we decided that the four of us (Indira, Aliya, Rose, and I) would recreate that program but with Her Move Next this time, and therefore Her Coaches was born. 

2. Q) What are your hopes for Her Coaches?
A) One of my dreams is to not only expand Her Coaches to at least 50-100 members, but really engage interest, and help players improve. I want them to gain new friends, and enjoy playing and practicing chess. I also want to be able to see my students go to tournaments together, play OTB (Over The Board), and be there to coach and encourage them. For example, we are currently planning for HMN to sponsor the entry fee for two, 5-member teams for the tournament called, “2023 US Amateur Team East” in Morristown, NJ. We will be offering the opportunity to be a part of this tournament to players who particularly excel in the Her Coaches program. Finally, I want this program to be accessible for players of all ratings and have coaches advanced enough to [teach] them.

3. Q) What would you like to highlight in the Her Coaches program?
A) Her Coaches is a completely free one-hour biweekly program, but any voluntary donation helps the HerMoveNext Foundation Inc expand its outreach efforts. Parents of participants, and program supporters can consider voluntarily donating to HMN here, https://www.hermovenext.com/donate but donations are optional and not required for participating. If you have any questions about signing up, you can email me here, Simone.hermovenext@gmail.com. If you are attending 7th grade next year and are 1100+ you can also request to be a coach. Most of all, if you sign up but really want to improve at chess, remember that being consistent in doing chess puzzles, games, and studying is what will get you there. Our coaching can guide you, but you also have to put in the work.

Coach Indira shared that when your passion shows through your hard work, it is then through your passion you can win.

Coach Aliya said, “... my main goal with Her Coaches is to give all young girls the opportunity to be a part of a chess community and meet lifelong best friends like I had done when I was their age. Chess was such an important part of my life when I was in elementary school and by coaching girls in chess, I hope that all of them can have the same positive and life changing experience with chess that I had.”

Coach Mahika

Coach Bhavya