Training Course Opened Our Eyes
By Arvind Aaron

The high profile Secretary of the Chennai District Chess Association, International Arbiter, K. Murali Mohan said the ongoing FIDE Trainer Course has opened our eyes and all trainees are impressed by the high standards set by the head trainer International Master Jovan Petronic of Serbia.

We were given 243 positions and had 135 minutes to solve them at roughly 45 seconds per position. Right answer got one mark, if you accept as "dont know" you get zero mark, for no attempt you get minus one and if you take up the challenge and do it wrong minus two. So, negative marking made things tough.

"I left a whole section with rook endings unanswered," said 40-year old International Mater Neeraj Kumar Mishra of Jamshedpur. Time was less, and what we learnt was how to create material for the student and conduct tests.

Saheli Barua of Kolkata who represented India in the Istanbul Olympiad of 2000 said these tests are like taking a competitive examination and very tough.

Mrunalinee Kunte of Pune who made the her Woman International Master title in the Yerevan Olympiad in 1996 said the six day camp offered a broad vision of how a coach should be and prepare his material for the students.

International Master G.B. Joshi of Delhi said those who did not come for this course have missed a great deal of valuable insights into coaching. "This course was about ten times tougher than I expected it to be," said Joshi who was the first to finish the examination in the morning session on May 4.

Former National 'A' player V. Hariharan of Chennai said ideas on decision making at the board, managing time were some of the areas from which he learnt. Any methodical work, training will help advance and this is a valuable course he said.

Chennai chess player, K. Ganesan said Petronic was too good a coach and if anyone works under him for six months they are sure to become atleast an International Master.

The chief trainer Jovan Petronic of Belgrade, Serbia said he is here to check the training skills of the trainees and assess their ability through tests and has not come to see their chess playing skills.

Asked at which age a child should start playing chess, Petronic said there is no fixed age and he would like to teach his son chess at the age of four. He said clubs in Europe take kids into academies when they learn to write. He believed that chess could be taught before they go to school.

Petronic said the organisation is of high standards and he is enjoying his first visit to India very much despite the warm temperature of Chennai.
 

Home                                                            Published on 04^th May, 2008