FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Mini-Camps:

• What ages should students be? Any child’s age, as grouping will be done mostly by rating. Most children will be between the ages of 6 and 12. Keep in mind that camps will be about 4 hours of chess and instruction.
• Will there be breaks in the camp? Yes. When your child finishes the game, he/she can take a short break while we wait for the other games to finish. Also, there will be a planned 10-minute break before the final round begins.
• If I registered, how do I know if I got a spot? You will be emailed, and payment will only be collected at this point.
• What is the cost of each mini-camp and what payments do you accept? Each mini-camp is $175 USD per student. Paypal is preferred.
• What happens if I register my child and at the last minute he/she cannot attend? Due to the small space of the camps, there are no refunds once payment is collected, sorry.
• What if my child’s USCF or FIDE rating is much different than his/her ChessKid Fast Chess rating? For any exceptions to the rating groups of each mini-camp, please email FunMasterMike so he can ensure your child would be a good fit.
• Will my child be on camera? Generally, yes. The mini-camps will use Zoom meetings which give the ability for us all to see each other on camera. However, you can turn this off if you wish, or can toggle it off if your child is eating a snack, etc.
• Do I need any special technology for the camp? No. Simply a computer, a strong internet connection, and a webcam. It is not advisable to take the camp from a tablet or phone.
• Will I be able to record the mini-camp? This will be done for you and a recording sent to you after the camp!
• Are there prizes for the tournament that takes place during the camp? No. This is a training tournament and while we expect students to take games seriously, we don’t want a lot of pressure on the kids. We also expect that students will adhere to all fair play policies of ChessKid during the games.
• Have another question? Please email FunMasterMike at charlottechess@gmail.com.

Frequently Asked Questions about Custom Videos:

• Coming soon.

Random Questions for FunMasterMike:

• Do you give private lessons online? My schedule is so busy that I can’t offer regular lessons online. However, if your child has a special occasion coming up (birthday, etc.) and you’d like a one-time online lesson, then yes! The cost is $200 USD for one hour or $260 for 90 minutes. You can pick the format, although generally students ask that I review their games or play against them and then review the games.
• Where do you live, FunMasterMike? I’m a citizen of the world, but I spend most of my time on a window seat of an American Airlines plane. My favorite places are Thailand, Croatia, and Costa Rica. But Kotor, Montenegro is stunning.
• Have you ever defeated a top-10 player? Yes. I’ve beaten GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Hikaru Nakamura (in tennis!) and I once scored against GM Magnus Carlsen (in basketball!).
• What’s your favorite quote about chess? “Of chess it has been said that life is not long enough for it, but that is the fault of life, not chess.”
• What is your favorite grandmaster game of chess every played? This one always makes me smile but this one has a little more going for it.
• What is your favorite game that you ever played? In the final round of the 1999 Pikes Peak Open, I needed to win as Black and played this fun game.