Chess:   Learning from the Masters

If you were to stop and chat to Ken Macgillivray you would find him personable and friendly. If you were to play chess against him you would quickly realise he is a very dangerous man!  Ken has played the Game of Kings for many years, is an experienced tournament player, and regularly represents Rooty Hill RSL Chess Club in the Sydney inter-club competitions.

Chess Class—VAD Room, Penrith Ken MacGillivray is standing—well, leaning—at right.

More than a few young people who sat down opposite Ken with the idea that the brain atrophies after age 30 have left the board with a different point-of-view. Ken lost only one game in the club championship last year and, in the Rooty Hill Open won a prize for defeating one of the club's strongest players.

When Ken teaches chess he brings a lot of personal experience to the game, but he also brings the knowledge of the Masters.

During the class Ken selects a famous game from the past played between two grandmasters, plays through it on a large, magnetic demonstration board, and explains the reasons for the moves. He also demonstrates what would have happened had some alternative move been played.

He teaches chess at several levels—taking time out to explain the basic moves to absolute beginners while the more advanced students play each other.

If you think forks and skewers are something to do with food, that pins relate to sewing, or that sacrifice is the outing you gave up to mind the grand-kids, you'll find those words have quite different meanings in Ken's class.

It's held in the VAD Room at Penrith School of Arts every Friday afternoon from 1.00–3.00.

If you would like to discuss the courses with Ken you can get his phone number from U3A's Penrith office by CLICKING HERE.