CHESS ZENDŌ

12/19/2025

Chess Zendō spun out of the McMinnville Chess Club when I discovered how many of our young attendees wanted to play more, receive help and guidance, and steadily improve between the chess club meetings and tournaments.

Lessons are available as single sessions and punch passes of 10 or more. I'm running a discount on punch passes right now: get 10 lessons for 10% off (and get the equivalent of 1 free lesson), or 20 lessons for 15% off (the equivalent of 3 free lessons).

Check out https://chesszendo.com for rates, my frequently asked questions, how to get a free 20-minute lesson, and free resources like Chess Bingō, a fun play-at-home version of Bingo that's been downloaded by players and clubs all over the world!

I love teaching and tutoring young chess players, and I wholeheartedly believe that chess teaches the skills for a successful life: good sportsmanship and etiquette, creativity and problem-solving, remaining calm under pressure, and building healthy self-confidence to name just a few.

Chess Zendō offers fun, expert private chess lessons and tutoring for players of all ages and skill levels via online sessions and over-the-board in McMinnville, Oregon (Yamhill County) and the Portland Metro Area.

11/30/2025

Version 3 of the Chess Bingō scorecards have been released!

https://chesszendo.com/articles/chess-bingo

Chess Bingō is a new way to enjoy chess, learn the lingo, and (when played with teams) turn up the heat, get competitive, and develop team-building skills.

I created and have used this new bingo format with my chess students as a fun teaching tool, and I’ve tested these scorecards with help from the McMinnville Chess Club with great success.

These scorecards are free for personal and chess club use, and I’m excited to share them with everyone in the club and beyond. High quality PDFs are available upon request.

08/27/2024

More Chess Bingo! This is a new scorecard with funny or just outright silly chess moves, openings and positions.

Some of these need no introduction, and some of them do!

• King Me = King walks to the other side of the board

• All Alone = King is the last remaining piece

• 3 Queens = Promote 2 pawns to have 3 queens on the board simultaneously

• Nice to meet you = All remaining pawns are blocked by opponent's pieces

Please note these bingo scorecards are free for personal and chess club use (high quality PDFs available upon request). If you enjoy them or make any improvements you'd like to share, please let us know! [email protected]

08/13/2024

Introducing Chess Bingo!

We've developed and are testing out a new way to enjoy chess, develop team-building skills, and learn chess vocabulary and terminology. Drop by McMinnville Chess Club on Wednesdays or Saturdays to try it out.

Please note these bingo scorecards are free for personal and chess club use (high quality PDFs available upon request). If you enjoy them or make any improvements you'd like to share, please let us know! [email protected]

Now updated to v2!

01/30/2024

Hello from Chess Zendō! We offer fun, expert private chess lessons and tutoring for players of all ages and skill levels in McMinnville, Oregon, and throughout Yamhill County.

Interest and excitement in chess has been rocketing upward with no signs of slowing down, and our team of life-long teachers is here to get you started, help you train to meet your chess goals, and enjoy one of the world's oldest and most popular pasttimes.

Contact us at [email protected] to schedule a lesson, or send us a message with any questions here on Facebook. We look forward to talking with you!