Helen Green
Quick facts
​Started playing chess since: 5 years old
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Favourite chess player: Judit Polgar
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Fun facts: I have always enjoyed dance and at various times done ballet, Egyptian dance and banghra. With more enthusiasm than skill, it must be said.
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Hobies: I enjoy walking, camping & swimming. I am also an accidental angler as my son enjoys both coarse and match fishing. I am an avid reader, particularly enjoying biography and historical fiction.
QA with me
Q: What inspired you to start coaching chess and how long have you been doing it?
Q: What is your proudest chess achievement or moment?
Q: How would you describe your coaching philosophy or teaching style?
Q: How do you tailor your coaching to fit the needs of different students?
Q: Can you share an example of how you've helped a student improve their game?
Q: Who is your favourite chess player and why?
Q: If you had one piece of advice for either new players or students wanting to progress what would it be?
Q: What is the most valuable lesson chess has taught you in life?
Q: What are your favourite chess openings or strategies to teach?
A: I have always enjoyed the training element of jobs I have done. Being able to match that with playing a game I have enjoyed all my life was a great opportunity. I have been a coach, mainly in schools, now for five years.
A: As a youngster I was the only girl in our school Chess Club and often the only girl at tournaments. I was always proud if I won anything and also felt very visible if I lost. I find it really rewarding to see chess being played by a wider mix of people. It is a great game and unike many sports, you can play it across generations too.
A: I coach younger children, so there is a great emphasis on enjoying the game. Chess pieces are great on a tactile level and we can bring them alive to children by giving them personalities. Every chess game can have its unexpected heroes and equally unexpected villains as the story unfolds. The danger of check, a brave defence, a sacrifice - exciting stuff.
Learning to win well and lose well is useful, having the resilience to keep trying and improving is a life skill.
A: As I coach a club rather than a lesson I aim for a more relaxed atmosphere. If a child prefers to play standing up, that is fine. For some children, an hour is a long time to concentrate, particularly after school. Depending on the club size and mix, we might opt to do some puzzles together or a variation on chess to hold their interest and maintain a feeling of progression / completing a task. It is heartening that most children are disappointed if the club ends before their game, though those ahead are generally more disappointed than their opponents.
Encouragement for making decisions and trying new tactics is a must. Not everything will work, but that is okay and a learning in itself. Children are amazingly inventive and enjoy problem solving; chess is great for this.
A: I can only claim credit for teaching them how to play and being confident to persist. The children deserve credit for everything thereafter. All of those who practice improve.
A: Judit Polgar has been a strong supporter of the women's game as well as being an amazing chess player.
A: Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Most games between Grandmasters end with one losing!
A: That being able to share is game is a joy that transcends age, language and background. And if you lose, there is always next time.
A: "I particularly enjoy teaching the ladder and back rank checkmates to younger children. It helps them distinguish between check and checkmate and gives them the tools to win a game.
With slightly older children, underpromotion is fun - the rebellious notion of ignoring what you have been repeatedly told and doing something else."