The Chess Emporium

Fall Road to Nationals

Prepare for the K–12 Nationals (December 11–13, 2026 – Orlando, FL) and with a structured training program led by Coach Paul Kanis (USCF 1975) and Coach Ben Vinyard (USCF 1859).

This class is intended for rated tournament players and students who are Knight level or above in PCC classes, or who have completed our past Supergroups.

Schedule & Tuition

• Days: Mondays & Wednesdays
• Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
• Length: 10 weeks
• Price: $429
• Mondays: Weekly structured lessons (2 hours)
• Wednesdays: USCF-rated games plus full game review (students receive or improve their national rating)
• Schedule:Mondays- Sep 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 16, 23
  Wednesdays- Sep 16, 23, 30, Oct 7, 21, 28, Nov 4, 11, 18, 25
• No class: October 12 & October 14

Students receive 40 total hours of instruction, training games, and analysis.

Why Join?

• Build disciplined thinking across all phases of the game
• Develop tactical accuracy and strategic planning
• Strengthen endgame fundamentals
• Practice real USCF-rated games under coaching supervision
• Learn tournament psychology and handling pressure
• Perfect for players preparing for major fall or winter events

Many past Road to Nationals students have achieved top-20 national finishes, with several becoming National Champions in their sections.

Fall Road to Nationals – Curriculum (Monday 5:30–7:30)

Date	Hour with Coach Paul Kanis	Hour with Coach Ben Vinyard
9/14	Minor Piece Imbalance (Knights)	Tournament Psychology
9/21	Minor Piece Imbalance (Bishops)	How to Spot Tactics in Your Games
9/28	Rooks / Files, Ranks, and Targets	King and Pawn Endgame
10/5	Material / Fear of Giving Up or Taking Material	Rules of Attack
10/12	No Class
10/19	Chess Psychology – Overcoming "I Can't" and "I Must"	Rook and Pawn Endgame
10/26	Initiative Imbalance – The Art of Insistence	Common Opening Traps
11/2	Target Consciousness	Three Questions of Strategy
11/9	Space Imbalance	Queen and Pawn Endgame
11/16	Passed Pawns	Minor Piece Endgame
11/23	Imbalances in the Opening	Draw Techniques – Fortresses

* All middlegame strategy lessons with Coach Paul based on IM Jeremy Silman's How to Reassess Your Chess.

Road to Nationals – Curriculum (Wednesday 5:30–7:30)

Date	1st Hour	2nd Hour
9/16–11/25	USCF Rated Game (G/25 with 5 sec delay)	Game Review

For enrollment, please call the Chess Emporium staff at 602-482-4867 or email us at kids@chessemporium.com.

For questions about course content or curriculum, please call Coach Paul at 602-620-0890 or email at pkanis@chessemporium.com.