Spring 2021 Tactics Data Report

Since the creation of the Memphis Youth Chess Organization, our students have progressed significantly, learning everything from the basics of chess to common openings to complex tactics. In order to understand what topics students are comfortable with and which ones need improvement, we conducted our first tactics fest in February of 2021. After analyzing the data, we began structuring our lessons to solidify the skills which students were having most trouble with.

Two months later in April of 2021, we conducted our second tactics fest. Below are the results of this tactics fest compared to the results of the tactics fest in February.

Scores Improvement

It’s remarkable how the average score improved by over 35%. So how were students able to make such an extraordinary improvement over the course of just two months? We credit this to three key factors. Firstly, all four groups practice tactics during lessons to improve students’ understanding of the topics. This was most crucial, as once the method of a certain tactic is learned, solving tactics with similar themes becomes significantly easier. Secondly, simultaneous exhibitions with the students’ instructors helped them practice the skills they learned in class. Thirdly, the monthly practice tournaments created a low-stakes, fun atmosphere where students could play with other students and use the tactics they learned during the regular lessons.

Due to the implementation of the above, average scores improved by over 35%, and students were able to better understand complex chess tactics. Below are the average scores of each group and the overall average score by topic.

Scores by Topics

These results are incredibly promising. The exceptional improvement and mastery of skills in just two months demonstrates the immense potential of our students and the effectiveness of our teaching system. Given a few more months, we hope results will be even more promising than they are now.