Training – Page 2 – Puddletown Chess

The Spontaneous Leader: Why You Should Embrace Chaos

At Puddletown, we’ve learned something important: leadership doesn’t grow out of perfect plans. It grows out of chaos. When you’re working with kids, chess boards, clocks, pizza boxes, and a tournament hall full of buzzing energy, things will go sideways. And that’s exactly where spontaneous leadership shows up. The Tournament Tiebreaker…

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11/18/2025

Community / Tournaments / Training / Youth

Our BHAG: Help 1000 Students Reach 1000 USCF Rating

Every great movement has a bold goal. At Puddletown, ours is this: help 1,000 students reach a USCF rating of 1,000. We call it our BHAG, our “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.” And while the phrase may sound funny, the mission is anything but. Why 1,000 Rating? A USCF rating of 1,000…

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11/10/2025

Community / Education / Learnings / Training / Youth

Why We Help Who We Help

At Puddletown, people often ask us: Why focus on certain groups of kids? Why make a special effort for girls and non-binary students, for kids from low-income families, or for kids growing up in rural communities? Isn’t chess supposed to be for everyone? It is supposed to be. But the reality…

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11/02/2025