Mid-Season (S1) Preview
Hey Conquerors! It’s been a week since we made our appearance during the Official Student Organizations (OSO) Membership Day. And we wanted to talk you through the events & programs you’ll see coming to our community. We’re eager to hear your feedback, so make sure to comment your suggestions and give us your feedback below this page, if you have any!
Housekeeping Note: Things will be in a pretty early state when you first see them, so expect changes to things like visuals, names, schedules, details, and more as we continue to refine these plans while they’re on early development. Barring massive table-flips, this preview page won’t be updated after publishing. Fear not though, when the next “Insider’s Peek” notes come out and the changes go live in January they’ll have all the final details as usual.
WHAT MID-SEASON MEANS FOR CONQUERORS?
As we dive into the Mid-Season, we’re excited to kick off a period of intense chess training and development. This is the time when we build on the groundwork laid during the Pre-Season and focus on enhancing our techniques to prepare for the challenges ahead, so expect a lot of self-paced online training and face-to-face training on-the-board over competitive tournaments.
We’re looking forward to continue adopting this Club Season structure by Season 2 and beyond to keep the consistency going. We want each new Season to continue to provide interesting gameplay for our members that will give you an opportunity to prove your mastery of the game – all without compromising your academic, personal, or professional commitments. While we do want to win major tournaments and events, we don’t want our members to feel “chess improvement” as a chore but rather to keep your mental fitness in shape.
Refine Your CHESS Techniques With Conquerors Bootcamp
We’re excited to announce our new recurring event, “Conquerors Bootcamp”! This is a paid, face-to-face group coaching session (with a dedicated team coach) to fast-track your chess improvement goals and make new friends.
We’ve implemented this active event in conjunction with our Training Portal so your ability to visualize on the board won’t be affected.
In this bootcamp, you’ll gain access to our Improvers Club, exclusive training curriculum, a personalized study guide and a year-round series of on-the-board practice! Every 2 weeks, our members complete hundreds of print-out puzzles, peer analysis, chess theory lessons and on-the-board practice sessions. We expect that this group of hard-working players will get better and gain positive rating each year compared to when they started their training.
By participating in Conquerors Bootcamp, you can connect with other members and coaches and support each other in your journey. You can count on club members to give you hints and recommendations to boost your training, or maybe just that extra motivation you need to keep pushing!
Conquerors Bootcamp will have a coaching fee of ₱50.00 Pesos and will run twice a month on all Club Chapters of ICCT Chess Club located near your area (ICCT Colleges – Cainta, Antipolo, Cogeo and San Mateo Campus Branch), at specific scheduled time and date chosen by your Campus Representative More details about Conquerors Bootcamp will be posted soon!
TRAIN ON-THE-GO WITH OUR Training Portal
Training Portal is an online chess training platform equipped with structured, self-paced chess lessons at your level to fast-track your improvement and conquer your chess goals, all while still having a life outside the board. It’s similar to Udemy, Coursera and other online learning management system like our AIMS Portal in our campus, but specifically for chess trainings.
You’ll also find premium study guides on our training portal sponsored by Chessable and community-created courses made by the Executive Committee (E8). Interactive chess lessons are also available in lichess study format.
START YOUR CLUB JOURNEY With Conquerors Launchpad
We’re developing a comprehensive New Member Onboarding Program designed specifically for our incoming members which will be available the first time you login on our Training Portal. This online course will help members of our community prepare for our trainings/tournaments ahead of time. In this training, you’ll also learn how our community works as a whole, plus we’ll give you some practical tips and tricks to speed up your chess development.
This initiative aims to create a systematic, repeatable, and highly scalable approach to ACTIVATE our members in our club’s activities and culture. The program is structured to accommodate all new members effectively, ensuring equal opportunities for success and integration into our community, regardless of when they join or register. This flexible design allows late registrants to catch up and participate fully in club activities without feeling left behind.
Conquer The Board In Style With Our CLUB MERCHS (PREVIEW)
This has been requested by our community members a lot, and we’re thrilled to announce the launch of our Online Shop Program this January, designed to enhance your club experience and provide you with all the resources you need to elevate your game in style!
We’ll be updating our shop regularly with new products and special promotions, so be sure to keep an eye out for announcements on our social media channels. In addition, we’ll be releasing our 1st Batch of 25x Official Jerseys for a limited-time sale soon!
The Return Of Online Tournaments
Rapid Arena (February 1) and Blitzmania (February 22) will make a comeback via Tornelo.com this February to give our community members a platform to practice their online chess skills and apply what they’ve learned during our Conquerors Bootcamp, in preparation for our future tournaments.
Invite Your Friends On Our Conquest With A Guest Membership
Starting late-February, we’ll be launching our Guest Membership Program for alumnis, faculty members, and non-students of ICCT Colleges! This initiative aims to extend our vibrant chess community beyond current students and welcome individuals who share our passion for the game.
As a Guest Member, they will have access to exclusive events, training resources and community, similar to our Regular Membership. While we don’t have the nitty-gritty details of this program yet, we are looking forward to welcoming your friends and relatives into our chess family and providing a platform where you can grow as a player while enjoying the camaraderie of our community.
MAKE YOUR WAY UP THE “DIVINE 4” FOR A CHESS.COM Collegiate Chess League (CCL) INVITATION
The Chess.com Collegiate Chess League (CCL) is just around the corner, and we are excited to announce that ICCT Chess Club is one of the official invitees for the Spring 2025 season! The CCL will feature a robust $25,000 prize fund, the popular four vs. four team format, and presenting partner Susquehanna, one of the world’s leading quantitative trading firms.
The Collegiate Chess League is the premier online chess competition for college students. This Spring season, teams will again compete in the 5+2 time control. No matter your strength as a collegiate chess player, we invite you to register and play in our next Conquerors Try-outs on January for this prestigious tournament.
FIGHT FOR A CAUSE IN CONQUERORS EXPO
Our club will be organizing a public exhibition this January 21-23 where we will showcase our member’s skills and strategies on a chess board against bypassers and strangers. We will compete against random people from a safe, busy or high-traffic area (e.g: malls) in a fast-paced format that will challenge our member’s tactical skills and vision.
Our main goal is to train our players tactical and calculation skills on high-pressure environment, generate additional funds through donations and to create public awareness and recognition for our school and talents.
Compete For The Top Spot In Conquerors Assembly
The Conquerors Assembly is an open on-the-board rapid chess tournament taking place on February 15. This event is a fantastic opportunity for players of all skill levels to showcase their talents, engage in friendly competition, and connect with fellow chess lovers.
The Conquerors Assembly promises to be an exciting day filled with strategic battles and thrilling matches. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just starting your chess journey, this tournament is designed for everyone.
Details on registration will be provided soon, so keep an eye on our announcements!
MORE DETAILS COMING YOUR WAY!
And that about wraps up our biggest events and programs coming to our community this Mid-Season! We hope you’re looking forward to join our initiatives, and make sure to check out our News page when they come out for all the details. See you on the board and good luck climbing!
