Scholastic_Chess_and_Kids

“Scholastic Chess – An Argument for Helping to Develop Young Minds" Chess is the oldest skill game in the world. The present form of the game originated in Europe in the 15th century. One reason the game has survived and thrived for hundreds of thousands of years is due to the peripheral lessons that can be learned by an individual. We can learn sportsmanship, humility, introspective judgment, logic, emotional control, planning, juggling complexity, teamwork, patience, and much more. Because of these invaluable life lessons the game of Chess should be taught to children at the scholastic level. At chessboss.com the history of chess is said to have historical roots dating back thousands of years with most historians placing the game of chess as we know it today to 6th century India. Common consensus is that chess was modernized between the 6th and 15th century being brought to Europe at that time. The modern day game is played on a board consisting of 64 squares, 8 rows by 8 rows of alternating black and white squares. Two players start on either side of the board with opposite color pieces. The pieces that make up the game are the one King, one Queen, two Bishops, two Knights, two Rooks, and eight Pawns. Each piece has its own characteristics and movements. The object of the game is to trap the opponent’s King through the strategic planning and coordination of your “army.” There are a lot of intricate rules and nuances that govern the game. Time limits to play the game vary and oftentimes are seldom less than thirty minutes per side. In tournament situations games can last as long as six hours and sometimes more. There are hundreds of thousands of books dedicated to various strategies surrounding the game. Opening theory, middle-game theory, and end-game theory are the basic sectional categories of chess. Also, positional play and understanding of the game is critical. There are books and internet lessons devoted to tactical positions. Some people have made chess a life-long study. The highest ranking tournament chess players in the world are titled “Grandmasters” from various sanctioning bodies. Tournament chess has been around since the late 1800s and has grown to encompass a vibrant scholastic chess scene in the past few decades. In 2008 I attended a SuperNational event in Nashville, Tennessee where my children played along with 7,500 other scholastic players from across the country. Several of these players came from places that either teach chess at the scholastic level or were homeschooled with chess as part of their scholastic curriculum. There are several areas in the United States where chess has been integrated on some level into the public school curriculum. Two stand-out examples are Chess-in-the-Schools (New York City) and the Seattle Chess Program (Washington State) . In his article, “Teaching Chess in the Classroom” Joe Crews-Erjavec explains that the, “Chess-in-the-Schools is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that started in 1986 by teaching chess to classes in Manhattan, Harlem, and the Bronx. They now reach 36,000 students in all five New York boroughs (Welcome). The average student starts in the second grade, although occasionally kindergarteners or first graders participate. Chess-in-the-Schools’ mission is to develop critical thinking skills, build self-esteem, teach discipline, foster positive social skills, motivate academic achievement, and empower children to succeed through the use of chess (Welcome). The teachers instruct with a combination of lecture, hands-on activity, and free play. They provide each student with a chess set to bring home at the end of the semester (Baron). (This last part reminds me of my own experience teaching chess. The other chess teacher and I provided six sets to the last semester’s group of children. We asked them to teach a friend or family member how to play over the summer.) The America's Foundation for Chess supports both the Seattle Chess program and the United States Chess Championship which will be held in Seattle from 2000 to 2010. 1,200 students from kindergarten to eighth grade have benefited by learning chess as it is integrated into their curriculum (America's Foundation).” (www.minnesotachess.org).