CHESS IN THE SCHOOLS

How Does Chess Benefit Children?

• The game of chess helps young people learn to concentrate, think logically, overcome obstacles, spot patterns and categorize information.
• It helps with the development of problem-solving skills, planning, patience, focus of thought and self-discipline.
• Chess is a competitive activity, but , good sportsmanship and fair play are taught as essential elements of the game.
• Chess is a one-against-one activity, however, teamwork is also an important element.  This element comes into play when Club members must practice and work on problems together.
• Everyone has a chance to contribute to the team in tournament play as chess clubs may enter as many players as they wish and various skill-levels or age-based sections are generally available.
• A scholastic chess club provides a challenge for students while helping build confidence and self-esteem. It offers a combination of educational and social activity.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I have to be a chess player to start a chess club?

No, you do not need advanced chess skills to organize a club. There are videos and simple instructional booklets that anyone can use to learn the game. You can almost always find a parent, older student or chess player in the community to help the group get started. You will want to read through a rule book and learn the basic elements of the game, but you do not have to be a skilled player yourself. Many clubs benefit from having non-playing organizers to support chess instructors.

Do I have to be a teacher to start a chess club?

No. A chess club may be sponsored by a parent or interested chess player in the community. Frequently, a parent and teacher will jointly sponsor a club, because being a teacher might make it easier to gain permission to use school facilities for meetings or tournaments.
It is important to work with school administrators for recognition of chess clubs as a school function, part of the schools extracurricular program. While this may take some time, achievement of this goal will benefit both the chess club and the school.

How much time does a Chess club take?

It depends on how much time you are willing to invest. It could be as little as an hour a week, but it will vary depending on the number of students involved and their ages. Most clubs meet regularly for one to two hours per week. These meetings may be after school, in the evening or on weekends.

How much money is involved in starting a club?

You can start a scholastic chess program for very little money – substantially less than the cost of just one football uniform. All that is required are a few chess sets.

If local funding is not available, contact the U.S. Chess Trust for assistance on getting free chess sets and US Chess Federation memberships.

You may send an E-mail with your Questions and/or Requests to info@uschesstrust.org , or, you may Post Your Comments and Questions on our Blog !

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Get inspired – Get Chess !

In her article Brenda Dyck ponders this very question and brings up some very valid points. Below is the article in its entirety, it was published in Education World.

Chess, Anyone? — Chess As an Essential Teaching Tool

Each week, an educator takes a stand or shares an Aha! moment in the classroom in Education Worlds Voice of Experience column. This week, educator Brenda Dyck contemplates whether smart kids play chess or chess makes kids smart. Dyck considers the integration of chess into classroom learning and ponders the thinking byproducts of playing chess.

Included: Links to resources and research about the impact of chess on students skills, thinking abilities, and self-esteem.

One of the things I’ve noticed while working with gifted and talented students is their love for the game of chess.

When I mention this to their teachers, they tell me that gifted students are intrigued by the analysis and strategizing that goes along with the game. They tell me that chess has been an ever-present part of their schooling from the very beginning; most classrooms have a number of chessboards, and the kids start up a game at any opportunity — even for 15 minutes!

Some students are more serious about chess than others, but most jump at the chance to play. A chess club for students ages 8 to 15 meets once a week in the library. To witness the club — with its 15 or 20 members engaged in thoughtful focus — is a sight to see! (Without a doubt, it is one of the quietest lunch hour clubs I’ve ever witnessed.) Some of the students are serious enough about the game to compete outside of school. In fact, one of my grade 7 students was a regional champion in our province.

CHESS AS PART OF THE CURRICULUM?

After learning that the U.S. Chess Federation pledges that Chess Makes Kids Smart,” I found myself wondering if smart kids play chess or if chess really makes kids smart. Could this game be a key in our ongoing search to strengthen the thinking skills of 21st century learners?

Last summer, I did some reading about other schools where educators are asking the same questions. To my surprise, I learned that chess is being taught to more than 130,000 Canadian students — some as young as second grade — as part of their regular math program!

At Marina (California) Junior High School, teachers discovered that students academic performance improved dramatically after only 20 days of chess instruction. George L. Stephenson, chairman of the schools math department, reported that 55 percent of students showed significant improvement in academic performance after this brief smattering of chess instruction.

It seems that scheduling chess as part of a regular math program is about more than entertainment. The initiative is supported by studies that maintain chesss ability to improve the cognitive abilities, rational thinking, and reasoning abilities of even weak learners.

MORE THAN A GAME

In Virginia, math teacher and chess-club sponsor Jan Brandt recently explained to me that chess is “probably the best game there is for developing logical, precise thinking.” Ms. Brandt believes that chess encourages patience, sharp memory, the ability to concentrate, problem solving skills, and the understanding that certain behaviors carry certain consequences.

In addition, chess:

demands both inductive and deductive reasoning.
requires students to look at a problem, break it down, and then put the whole thing back together.
involves recall, analysis, judgment, and abstract reasoning.
improves decision-making skills.
increases players self-confidence and improves organizational habits.
All this information got me thinking. If research shows a connection between chess skills and improved reading and math scores, problem-solving ability, concentration, courtesy, responsibility, and self-esteem, then why aren’t we all tapping into this multifaceted, cost-efficient critical thinking tool?

As we continue to look for ways to expand our students critical thinking ability, could it be that some of the secrets to pushing student thinking and improving academic ability reside in a game that dates back to 531 AD?

White to move, and wins.

Former World Champion Emmanuel Lasker finished this game with a crashing knight move!

Lets use his famous quote in order to find the winning move -”When you see a good move, look for a better one” (Emanuel Lasker)

POWERFUL COMBINATION OF PIECES!

In this position, Black can either checkmate in three moves or win the White Queen.

The Queen and the Knight are the most powerful combination of pieces, since they can cover all the movements of the game.

Find a way to win !