We play chess at BISD

BISD Focuses on Chess Program for Elementary Students

Friday, 13 May 2011 16:55 | Written by News Release

“Smart kids play chess, and in Brownwood ISD, that’s every single second and third grader,” wrote BISD Superintendent Dr. Reece Blincoe on his blog, the most recent entry pertaining to the new program initiated at all three elementary schools.

Every Friday, students learn and participate in a one-hour lesson about chess and its strategies, playing pieces, and etiquette; additionally, as a part of the curriculum, each student receives a chess board to keep.

“Chess teaches kids how to strategize, how to think before they act, and is known to sharpen math skills,” Blincoe said, going on to also mention improved sportsmanship, stronger social and critical thinking skills and an improved self-confidence as other side-effects of knowing the game.

The strategy behind the program is that this skill set and knowledge base create an intellectual atmosphere for students, encouraging them and attributing to higher test scores. One important chess strategy is to think three moves ahead; this in turn helps students put the skill to work not just in playing the game, but in real life and school application.

“Students’ self-confidence, math skills, thinking before they act -- this relates to higher test scores,” Blincoe said. “It does not necessarily make students smarter, but it polishes their skills so they can do better.”

One particular event will display and challenge the Brownwood students’ abilities -- a chess tournament held at Brownwood Intermediate School on Tuesday morning, May 24th at 9:00. All third graders will play four or five timed matches; players will collect points by capturing opponents’ pieces and accumulate their points throughout the match. Those with the most points or have not lost any rounds will receive prizes sponsored by Big Country Ford. Last year’s tournament produced about 30 students who won every match.

Blincoe presses onward with the chess program, working with other schools across the state to incorporate and find sponsors to support First Move.

“When you see our billboard bragging that, ‘we play chess at BISD,’ there’s a reason for that,” Blincoe said. “We believe chess holds the power to bring positive change to our education system. ‘Smart kids play chess’ -- that’s our tagline -- and we’re teaching every one of our kids to play chess. We want them to know, ‘I am smart, I can succeed’.”

Source: http://www.brownwoodnews.com

The benefits of chess for everyone

The Benefits of Playing Chess for Both Children & Adults
Posted on May 10, 2011 by Martin in Chess in the News & Everything Else
www.onlinechesslessons.net

The benefits of chess is a topic that has been debated by both parents and scholars alike for quite a few years now. As education becomes more competitive parents are always looking for any edge they can find to sharpen their children’s’ minds. It’s this exact pressure that has led people to many incorrect conclusions that we’re later proven false. One good example was the crazy in the 90′s and early 2000′s of playing classical music to your babies or children to make them smarter which was later proven false. Unlike many of these fads, there is no doubt about the benefits of chess. The evidence is clear that playing chess benefits the mind in both young and old alike.

The Benefits of Playing Chess for Kids – Does Chess Belong in The Classroom?

I really enjoyed an article that recently came out on the BBC Website asking whether every child should be made to play chess. The article debates the important question: Should chess be taught in school curriculum?

Chess is a very addictive process, a positive drug for children – Grandmaster Raymond Keene

It is very clear that playing chess has its benefits, there is no doubt here. However where there is doubt is whether these advantages can be used outside of the world of chess. The results on the benefits of chess in the real world show mixed, but encouraging results.

Children who start playing chess at a young age will gain increased:

• Focus
• Self-confidence
• Patience
• Logical thinking skills
• Imagination
• Problem solving skills
• Memory (especially spatial memory)
• Mental agility
• Mental resistance

But let’s not forget the most important benefit of chess for both kids and adults is that its a tremendous amount of fun! After all, the brain is like a muscle and chess is like a gym. Evidently playing chess is great for the mind and its benefits are interconnected. You start learning chess, you win a few games, your self esteem goes up, you get more into the game and you start thinking more logically, you improve your imagination. To play chess you must remember positions and distinguish patterns which force you to use your memory, after you improve your calculations you can apply this skill in math and start multiplying numbers fast. Last of all, after enduring a chess game for 4 hours, everything else seems easy. How do these benefits transfer into other aspects of life?

More here.

Should chess be taught in school?

Artwork by Mike Magnan

Should chess be taught in school?

10 May 2011 Last updated at 05:40 ET Help It is an ancient game which was once used to teach young knights and princes about military strategy.

But should every child in Britain be expected to learn chess, while they are still at primary school?

There is growing support for the idea of putting the game on the national curriculum.

Tim Muffett reports from a primary school in Birmingham.

Watch the video report here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13343943

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: "Chess will improve school results

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: "Chess will improve school results
Source: http://kazan2011.fide.com

FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is a frequent guest in Kazan now. No surprise: he’d been supposed to be such with the view to organize and stage Candidates Matches 2011. But as it turned out, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov started his acquaintance with our city many years ago, in his childhood. - My first visit to Kazan happened in 1977, - told FIDE President - I took part in the Pioneer’s Volga Region Festival, held in the capital of Tatarstan. Such festivals normally involved amateur art activities, sport competitions and chess. I used to be a captain of a chess team. I held the first grade then, but very soon turned to Candidate Master, and a year later won Kalmykia ASSR Championship among grown-ups. However, speaking about the children’s impressions from Kazan and Tatarstan, I first remember your legendary chess player Rashid Nezhmetdinov. When I competed in Kazan, I realized, that chess were much popular there, than in my native Kalmykiya, and I felt somewhat envious. My pleasure to see now, that chess are enjoying warm support from the First President of the Republic of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev. And I am very grateful to him, that he accepted my offer to become the Counselor of the FIDE President. The present day President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov pays significant attention to chess as well. We are keeping warm relations since his visit to Kalmykia, when being a RT Prime Minister. Chess are in the Universiade 2013 program, and that witnesses the importance of our sport for Tatarstan as a whole. - Let me apologize for my coming question. Anatoly Karpov paid a working visit to Naberezhnye Chelny last year, in the framework of his FIDE President election campaign. Did you feel somewhat negative towards Tatarstan after that? - Not at all! I won elections and immediately offered Anatoly Karpov to collaborate for the benefit of FIDE as a Vice President. However, he turned down my suggestion, since the post would require too much time from him, and he would not afford that. At the moment, Karpov serves as Official Ambassador of FIDE in international organizations. We are keeping in touch regularly, having a word not less than once a month. As a matter of fact, I was sincerely pleased to have Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov as my opponents. It had been such an honor for me to compete against such a merited chess players, the 12th and 13th World Champions. Their participation drew close public attention to FIDE Presidential elections and made up a floor for discussion, priceless with the view to progress. For quite long, I had been criticized for my passion to develop chess geography, introducing new non-chess cities to stage top chess tournaments (for instance, Astrakhan, Ekaterinburg, Krasnodar and etc). People wanted to have them in Paris, London, New York and in Moscow. However, I realized, that those megalopolises were full with the top sport competitions, while the so called “province” would be excited to have our tournaments. In this way, we have been promoting chess so far. To say, last year we conducted a tournament in Thailand. And now they have already entered chess to schools. Turkey had had no significant players, and they have European champions at the moment. Vietnam used to be “terra incognita” and what we have there now is a strong squad of chess players. I will go to Sri-Lanka immediately from Kazan in order to partake in the Closing ceremony of the Asian Chess Championships in Meshkhed, Iran (scheduled on 9 May, 2011). Who has ever heard of Meshkhed in relation with chess activity? None, while chess is enjoying a boom there. Another example, we conducted Women’s World Championship 3 years ago in Nalchik, together with Kabardino-Balkariya President Arsen Kanokov. Chess had had back seats mostly, but the game grew in popularity in course of the events. We saw people coming to Nalchik from distant villages, grandparents with their grandchildren, to watch the grandmasters play. After that, Kanokov established chess sections in all the population aggregates of his Republic. Women’s World Championship in Ekaterinburg promoted chess there as well. Good dynamics pictured in Khanty-Mansiysk. To begin with, they just tasted the game, and last year they hosted World Chess Olympiad. It was a major success! Now they entered chess to schools and are enjoying it. Last year, Astrakhan conducted Men’s FIDE Grand-Prix, and after it Astrakhan’s Governor exclaimed “Why not to stage one more tournament here after all?!” - The recent Russian Club Championship depicted an interesting trend there. The current winner, Moscow club “SHSM-64” was but an international squad with the significant number of foreign players. - Well, and what’s wrong with that? - The small number of world-brand famous Soviet school representatives in the Russian Champion’s composition. Please, don’t take me wrong, I am not against internationalization, though the mentioned above fact makes me somewhat upset. In earlier times our chess players went abroad to enforce foreign clubs and teams. - Nothing special about that from my viewpoint. I am the FIDE President, and FIDE is a multinational body, consisting of 172 country-members. For me, the more strong chess players transfer around the world the better. Their interference into the local floors will stimulate and motivate the locals’ progress and upgrading. The major thing here is to have the balance. There is no doubt, it’s much easier to buy grandmasters, than to bring them up since early childhood. In this respect, I set up one of my first run tasks as FIDE President – to enter chess to schools. With the view to make it possible, I visit countries and regions, to say I have already been to 29 countries this year. Few days ago I was in Poland to officially open the World School Children’s Championship. I went to Tbilisi for the Opening ceremony of the Women’s European Chess Championship. The more people play chess in each region, the easier it will be in the future to make up professional and amateur teams out of the local born chess players. - As far as I know, the program for chess development has already brought good fruits in your native Kalmykia. - Do you see, that you have just told me a perfect example of the our job done? 17 years ago, I signed a degree to develop chess in schools of Kalmykia. Chess were at a back seat then, we had hardly a first grade player in our Republic. Facts do speak louder than words, and we now have Ernesto Inarkiyev, Sanan Syugirov and others. We were supposed to wait up for 9 years for the fruits to come. In 2003, Syugirov won World Championship in his age category, the first time in his chess career, and now he is already two-time world champion. Last week Dinara Dorzhieva won J14 World Championship. And the most important thing here, is that 100% of Kalmykia school children can play chess. This played well for their school results as well. According to the Russian Ministry of Education, for the recent two years we have been keeping the 1st place in school results of children among 85 Russian regions. Andrey Fursenko, Russian Minister on Education got interested in our phenomenon and sent specialists to Kalmykia to find out the key to the success. They stated in the end, that it was chess to bring such a good results. - Pinochet had been awarded with the black belt in karate. Why not to follow his example? I mean for you to have a “grandmaster” rank for your contribution in chess... - Why should I have it? (Smiling) I play for myself quite well enough. Chess is my passion. Once I calculated, that I have allocated around $60 billion in chess development within 15 years at the post. I am happy, that the money are working, and that FIDE has been preserved as single body and didn’t split into parts. We have the one strong Federation, one champion and everything goes well. - Chess has been included on the World Summer Universiade 2013 Program, and this is definitely a step forward. Are there any chances for chess to enter Olympics? - Still waiting for it. IOC President Jacques Rogge has become a bit softer in his refusals, than he used to be. I consider, it would be much easier to enter Winter Olympics, but there is a rule, that the game-candidate should certainly have ice or snow involved. We offer to introduce there a slight change and add “or intellectual sports”. Besides, there is a window in the Winter Olympic Games Program within 03.00 – 07.00 p.m. perfectly fit for chess. Djaudat Abdullin, specially for kazan2013.com Translation: Olga Kamardina

Kids flock to chess

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Students flock to strategic game
Chess clubs taking off in Frederick County

by Margarita Raycheva | Staff Writer

Forget cutting-edge video and computer games.

Some elementary school students in Frederick County are getting hooked on a board game that was created more than 1,400 years ago.

Chess, which has captivated millions of people across the world for centuries, is now getting a foothold among a growing number of Frederick County elementary school students.

At Lincoln Elementary, an after-school chess team meets Wednesdays, and at least 16 students in second through fifth grade spend hours hunched over their chess boards, perfecting their moves, honing their strategies, and learning to think ahead of their opponents.

Dressed in the chess club's blue T-shirts, which display their victories over opponents from other schools, students take pride in the game, and are always ready to learn new tips and tricks to help them win with fewer moves.

"Chess is a brain game," said second-grader Vladimir Flores. "It makes your brain strong."

The chess team at Lincoln Elementary grew out of a small recess program that started seven years ago. But the game took off among students, who started teaching their classmates and whipping out chessboards in the cafeteria after class.

Today, the chess club draws in boys and girls of all academic skills, and Janet Manning, the team advisor, has to run a different program for students who are still learning the game.

"We start from as young as kindergarten," Manning said.

Lincoln Elementary, however, is not alone, and some other elementary schools are seeing an increased interest in the brainy game, which according to some researchers can help students improve their academic performance.

At North Frederick Elementary, which started a chess club in 2009, parents and volunteers are struggling to accommodate all students who want to play chess, though more than 150 students have participated in club activities and competitions.

Yellow Springs Elementary also started a chess club last year with an initial enrollment of 45 students, said Gary Waguespack, the parent volunteer who coordinates the club.

Based on the widespread interest, chess club organizers have united their efforts this year and created the countywide Frederick Scholastic Chess League. The organization aims to promote chess across the county, provide resources for school-based chess clubs, and for the first time allow students from different Frederick County schools to play in organized tournaments.

"The idea now is to promote chess on a scholastic level," said Waguespack, who started the league after he founded the chess club at his children's school.

"I realized that there wasn't much going on with chess in the entire county," he said.

Though the league is in its developmental stages, it already includes chess teams from five schools:?Lincoln, North Frederick, Yellow Springs, Valley, and Monocacy Valley Montessori Public Charter School.

Organizers at the league now are hoping that more schools would join in for the coming year.

The league held its spring invitational competition in March, and will hold the first countywide chess tournament on June 1 at West Frederick Middle School.

Waguespack has even more ambitious long-term goals for the league. He wants to bring chess to Frederick County middle and high schools, creating opportunities for more students to use chess to expand their thinking and exercise their analytical skills.

Using chess as a scholastic tool is not a new idea, and Waguespack points to a number of chess proponents who argue that it can help improve students' concentration, memory, analytical skills and even raise test scores.

In nearly 30 countries around the world, chess is a mandatory part of school curriculum, and according to the American Chess Institute, a number of studies suggest that playing chess can be related to higher test scores for students.

A study in Texas, for example, found that non-honors elementary students who participated in school chess clubs showed twice the improvement in reading and mathematics between third and fifth grades compared to non-chess players, according to the American Chess Institute.

And in New Brunswick, Canada, when schools started using chess to teach logic in grades two through seven, the average problem solving scores of students increased from 62 percent to 81 percent, according to the American Chess Institute's website.

In Frederick County, scholastic chess is at its budding stages, but teachers, parents and volunteers agree that children benefit from the game.

For Donna Scherer, a mother at Yellow Springs Elementary, there is no doubt that being in the chess club is helping her 9-year-old son Andrew learn sportsmanship, as well as problem-solving skills and analytical thinking.

"He is in advanced math classes and I've seen improvement in his reading," Scherer said.

Andrew learned to play chess from his older brother at the age of 4, when Scherer's family lived in Britain. There, it was not unusual for elementary schools to lay out chessboards even for students in pre-school, Scherer said.

So when the chess club opened in his school, Andrew made Scherer sign him up immediately.

"He is playing with fifth-graders now," she said. "And they all love to play. It is a proud day when they get to wear that shirt."

Reina Farmer, another parent at Yellow Springs, agreed. Farmer said it is difficult to tell if her daughter Allison is getting good grades because of playing chess or the other way around. But she is confident in one thing – her daughter loves to play.

"It helps with her self-esteem," Farmer said. "She really enjoys it. She won't let me miss anything that has to do with chess."

At Lincoln Elementary, Manning has noticed that her top chess players are not always the top achievers in class. That is a great confidence booster, showing students that they can be leaders in different areas, Manning said.

The game is also teaching students to take a defeat gracefully. But while they enjoy a good win, it is not uncommon to see the two opponents sitting together after the game trying to analyze their moves and figure out what led to the defeat.

And for Manning's students, there is no doubt that playing chess is exercising their brains.

"Chess is a strategy game," said Bernadette Jones, a Lincoln Elementary fourth-grader who has been on the school chess team for two years.

"You learn to think ahead," she said.

Source: http://www.gazette.net

Chess can improve academic performance according to studies

Studies show Chess can improve academic performance

3:48 PM, May. 3, 2011
Written by Niki King

Joey Haufe, 7, and Nate Baugher, 9, sat at opposing ends of a chess board on a recent Friday at Anchorage Public School.

Joey was winning and concentrating deeply on how to finish off the game.

“He sacrificed his queen,” Joey said, explaining how he'd pulled ahead.

The two are members of the school's chess club, which competes regularly in area tournaments and meets every Friday for practice.

The club, now in its fourth year, has grown from a handful of students to about 30, and some are competing well at the state level.

The club's kindergarten team recently took fourth in the Kentucky State Championships this March, and two first-graders placed third and fifth.

Anchorage's club is reflective of a larger, resurging scholastic interest in chess, as research shows it can improve academic performance.

Emir Sefo, of Old Dorsey Place, coaches Anchorage's chess club and similar clubs at other area schools through his business, Kentucky Scholastic Chess Center.

He said there are about 35 to 40 schools in Jefferson County that offer chess.

Most, like Anchorage, offer the classic strategy board game as an extra-curricular activity or club.

Jefferson County Public Schools has a chess course for credit at two schools — Carrithers Middle and Valley High.

Sefo, who grew up playing chess in his native Bosnia, said it builds strategizing and problem-solving skills, which translate well to subjects like math and geometry.

Studies have documented improved academic performance of students who play chess compared with their non-playing peers.

Frequently cited is a study of elementary students in New York City's Bronx district, where most students were below the national average academically but chess players' reading skills improved dramatically.

“Also, you can compare it with life,” Sefo said. “Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.”

Joey's father, Rick Haufe, said chess is something his son enjoys that's good for him.

“It's a healthy activity working with his strategic thinking,” he said. “I see it applying in other areas like his schoolwork.”

Phillip Kash, who has three children in the Anchorage chess club, said he also thinks playing chess has benefits.

“There's the discipline it takes to concentrate on a game and to think ahead,” he said.

Tanya Gupta, 11, said she first joined the chess club because her parents made her.

“Now I'm enjoying it,” she said. She said she thinks it has helped sharpen her concentration.

This is her first year, so she isn't as experienced as some of the other players, she said, but she likes the feeling of improving.

“It makes me feel good about myself because I'm pretty good at something that I just started,” she said.

Source: http://www.courier-journal.com

From the football field to 64 squares

Scott Talley; Making All the Right Moves… “Former College Football Players”
May 3, 2011 by Staff

(ThyBlackMan.com) Former linebacker makes his biggest hit by teaching kids life lessons through chess…

Unlike Cam Newton, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus and the other former collegiate standouts recently selected by professional football teams, Kevin Fite never experienced the thrill of having his name called on draft day. However, once upon a time, he did share the dream of those fortunate players.

“If you play football in high school or college, or any level for that matter, playing football in the NFL is the dream,” said Fite, who carried his football dreams from Detroit to the practice field of Southern University in the mid 1980s.

Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. has produced a litany of football stars including NFL Hall of Famer Mel Blount and future Hall of Famer Aeneas Williams. Fite had aspirations of making his own special contribution to the school’s football lore, but a reoccurring back injury took him out of the sport in 1986, before he could even play a game for the Jaguars.

Stripped of the strength needed to take down charging running backs, Fite, a former linebacker, still had the power of his mind. And Fite’s mind and love for another game—chess—has allowed him to contribute to society in ways that most professional athletes can only dream about.

“In my wildest dreams I would have never imagined anything like this,” said Fite, who has been coaching chess in 2002 and is the founder of the Detroit City Chess Club.

“I have seen young people transform their lives through chess. The game teaches patience, it teaches you how to think ahead, these are all the things we need to build a successful person in society.”

The roots of the Detroit City Chess Club can be traced back to Duffield Elementary and Middle School in Detroit, where Fite was a math teacher. As Fite has continued his professional journey, and word of the group has spread, the Detroit City Chess Club family has expanded to roughly 500 members.

“We are a family, so once you join you are always a part of the club,” said Fite, who is now dean of students at Washington Parks Academy, a Cornerstone Charter School located in Redford, Mich. “My old students all come back and help. They talk about what they have been able to accomplish through chess, and they also give speeches about the mistakes they have made and some of the pitfalls they have experienced in life.”

Through school and club competitions, students coached by Fite had won five national championships and 13 state titles entering May 2011.

More here.

Cast your vote for chess

Chess Academy Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) community-based nonprofit educational organization dedicated to improving reading, writing and math performance through the use of chess as a learning tool. The mission of Chess Academy Foundation is to promote chess in the schools as part of the educational curriculum. Chess is a dynamic tool for differentiated instruction as it addresses all of Bloom's Taxonomy of Higher Thinking Skills, as well as Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. Many studies have linked chess programs to improved scores in reading and math, as well as improved self-esteem. More information on the Chess Academy Foundation can be found at www.chessacademyfoundation.org.

Chess Academy Foundation has applied for a 50k Pepsi Challenge Grant to run summer chess programs in 20 Chicago Schools. The summer program is designed to teach beginning students the fundamentals of the game and be able to participate in a chess tournament. Students will receive their own chess set, instructional book and a Chess Academy Foundation T-shirt as part of the program.

To vote for Chess Academy Foundation in the Pepsi Challenge Grant please go to the link below and cast your vote!

http://www.refresheverything.com/chess-academy-foundation

Chess contributes in improving children’s cognitive skills

Chess in curriculum helps school hone kids’ abilities
Published: Thursday, Apr 28, 2011, 9:26 IST
By Team DNA | Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA

Yes! Chess, the addictive board game, forms a part of the curriculum at the Green Wood High School, Bangalore. Being the first in the city to take this step, the school authorities believe that chess practised from a young age as a sport or a favourite pastime cultivates good habits among students. It not only helps them gain expertise in the game, but also guides them for a better, brighter, and quality life.

“Chess has been a part of our school curriculum for seven years. Since chess is an indoor game and does not require much equipment, it is easy to incorporate it into the curriculum. It helps students immensely,” said Niru Agarwal, director of the school.

Learning chess is compulsory for students of nursery to Class VII, while students of Class VIII to X can learn it by choice. Highly-qualified chess tutors, who are a part of the teaching staff, teach chess at the school. It is taught like any other subject, with 3-4 classes a week for all grades.

“Chess improves a child’s logical reasoning, patience, concentration power and mathematical ability. It also induces competitive spirit as students try to outplay one another, and enhances their decision-making ability,” Agarwal said, when asked how the game contributes in improving children’s cognitive skills.

“Our students have won many prizes at inter-school and state-level championships. This has boosted their confidence and the students are responding brilliantly to this initiative. Parents are also very happy,” she added.

“Children have the unique ability of learning things quickly and grasping them. Once a child is taught the basics of chess and encouraged to play, they develop an interest for the game and will only better themselves. In their pursuit to learn more about the intricacies of the game, they would be anxious to read more about the grandmasters, the different types of games, tactics and strategies and in the process, they cultivate the habit of reading,” said Santosh Desai, of Green Wood High School.

More here.

Chess in education controversies

Artwork by Mike Magnan

Should all kids be forced to play chess?
Armenia is making the game mandatory for schoolchildren. Will that make them smarter?

posted on April 26, 2011, at 12:58 PM

Best Opinion: National Post, BBC, Education Stormfront

Armenia has come up with a novel approach to school reform — it's making chess lessons mandatory for all students age 6 and older. A spokesman for the country's education ministry says compulsory lessons will "foster school children's intellectual development" and improve their critical thinking skills. The government also hopes that its $1.5 million investment will help the tiny nation of 3.2 million become a "chess superpower." Is forcing kids to play chess really a good way to help them learn?

Absolutely, chess teaches kids how to think: Chess strengthens the mind, says psychology professor Mark Sabbagh in Canada's National Post. Teaching the game in schools will force students to learn "planning, thinking ahead, imagining the strategies of another person." These skills give kids the ability to act on reflection, not just impulse, which is a gift that will help them succeed in life.
"Armenia's gambit to become chess superpower"

But it shouldn't be compulsory: "Chess is obviously a skill," says British education reform advocate Katherine Birbalsingh, as quoted by BBC News, so it's smart to teach it to kids. But cramming mandatory lessons into an already full school day is a bad idea. "There is so much to learn, so many subjects to put into the curriculum, it would be a shame to lose something like music or art for chess."
"Should every child be made to play chess?"

Chess is no silver bullet... but it might just help: At a time when technology is whittling away at our attention spans, says Education Stormfront, "being able to focus on a problem and to be able to creatively solve it" is an increasingly rare skill. "I'm not saying chess is the answer," but if it helps today's frazzled, multitasking children learn to concentrate, maybe schools in the U.S. should give it a try, too.
"Reading, writing, arithmetic ... and chess?"

Source: http://theweek.com

The chess debate

Artwork by Mike Magnan

Should every child be made to play chess?
By Vanessa Barford
BBC News

Armenia is making chess compulsory in schools, but could mandatory study of a board game really help children's academic performance and behaviour?

Every child aged six or over in Armenia is now destined to learn chess. The authorities there believe compulsory lessons will "foster schoolchildren's intellectual development" and improve critical thinking skills.

The country has plenty of reasons to believe in chess. It treats grandmasters like sports stars, championships are displayed on giant boards in cities and victories celebrated with the kind of frenzy most countries reserve for football.

Chess is nothing less than a national obsession.

It may only have a population of 3.2 million, but Armenia regularly beats powerhouses such as Russia, China and the US and its national team won gold at the International Chess Olympiad in 2006 and 2008.

Added to that, the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has just been re-elected as chair of the Armenian Chess Federation.

Creative

Now the chess-mad country is investing nearly $1.5m (£920,000) to teach all of its children. But for other countries constantly strategising about how to boost child development and education, is making study of the Sicilian and the Queen's Gambit a good idea?

Proponents of chess in schools do claim some evidence. A two-year study conducted in the US by Dr Stuart Marguilies found that learning chess improved reading test scores and reading performance in elementary schools.

Another study by Professor Peter Dauvergne, who is also a chess master, concluded playing chess could raise IQ scores, strengthen problem solving skills, enhance memory and foster creative thinking.

Malcolm Pein, chief executive of Chess in Schools and Communities, a programme that puts chess into UK schools, says there are lots of reasons why chess has a positive impact on primary school children.

"Not only does it give children good thinking skills and improve concentration, memory and calculation, but it teaches children to take responsibility for their actions.

"There are also behavioural attitudes and social attributes to the game too. Children shake hands at the start, and although it's not deathly silent in classes, it's reasonably quiet and disciplined."

Far from it just being the case that more academically-minded people are more likely to play chess, he says the game is a very universal and inclusive activity that can be played at all standards.

Turn off

"Someone who is four can play someone who is 104, someone that can't walk around can play a top class athlete. Sometimes children that have been overlooked in other ways - maybe the quietest or physically smallest child in class - could be the best.

“Start Quote

Chess is a very addictive process, a positive drug for children”

End Quote Malcolm Pein Chess in Schools and Communities

"The other outstanding thing about chess is it's so cheap, so it can really help children in areas that are economically disadvantaged."

Pein is a big supporter of chess being made compulsory at school and recently made a submission to the government's National Curriculum review. It recommended that one class of chess - "or other thinking games like bingo" - is made mandatory every week for children in Year 2 (aged six) or 3 (aged seven).

He concedes the game can be challenging for young children, but argues that by the age of six or seven they are more than capable of picking it up.

English grandmaster and Times chess correspondent Raymond Keene agrees with targeting six-year-olds at primary school - and not just because he thinks it is the optimum time to catch children with the potential to make it big.

"Chess draws from brain power, not experience - it's not like writing an epic. So if a child is good at six, they could be a grandmaster by the time they are 12," he enthuses.

He says "chess is a very addictive process, a positive drug for children". Even when it is played online, it is much better than video games or television, he adds.

'Intriguing'

But although he thinks teaching chess in schools could be beneficial, he would stop short of making it compulsory.

"There are plenty of other things that could benefit from being compulsory too, I wonder whether it would be appropriate," he says.

"Also, in Armenia the government is knocking at an open door. Chess is already so embedded in its culture, it's bound up in its national psyche and ambitions. In the UK making it compulsory might actually turn people off."

Chess players may be convinced of chess' credentials, but could education experts be persuaded?

Katherine Birbalsingh, the teacher who came to public notice after a speech to the Conservative conference criticising school standards, and who is now setting up her own free school, says it is easy to see how chess would be a useful tool.

"I'm a great believer in knowledge acquisition - and chess is obviously a skill - so I can understand why it would be a good thing to teach children. My question is, what would you lose instead?

"There is so much to learn, so many subjects to put into the curriculum, it would be a shame to lose something like music or art for chess."

Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector of schools in England, says providing chess in schools - either through clubs or classes - could be helpful, but compulsory classes are not the way forward.

"I'm not sure whether it would have a beneficial impact, but chess is an activity many people find intriguing and satisfying, so it's got to be a good to have the option," he says.

Russell Hobby, the general secretary of The National Association of Head Teachers says fostering strategic thinking is an essential employability skill. But he can't support the idea of mandatory chess.

"No more compulsory subjects. It's about finding what works with each group of children."

And in a curriculum already subject to numerous priorities, chess may struggle to make the grade.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

I need your help!!

I just created a brand new site: http://chessbenefits.blogspot.com. I need your help to compile as much information as possible related to Chess in Education, Chess in the Schools, the countless Benefits of Chess for people of all ages, etc.

It is very difficult and cumbersome for many people to get all the facts about this topic. Let's work together to help our sport and especially the future generations.

Thank you!

Susan

More from San Luis, Argentina

Susan Polgar dejó su sello en los tableros puntanos

18/04/2011

La gran maestra disputó simultáneas con personas no videntes e instructoras de ajedrez de la ULP. El sábado jugó con los chicos de la Escuela de Talentos de la Universidad.

Durante el pasado fin de semana, el shopping de San Luis fue escenario de ajedrez de nivel internacional. La ex campeona del mundo Susan Polgar disputó simultáneas con personas ciegas e instructoras del Programa Ajedrez de la Universidad de La Punta (ULP). De esa manera, la gran maestra cerró su actividad en la provincia, que incluyó conferencias y una simultánea con más de quinientos chicos en la escuela Rosenda Quiroga de La Punta.

“La ex campeona mundial se despidió invicta, sin siquiera ceder un empate en tres sesiones de partidas simultáneas. Sumó un nuevo récord durante visita a nuestra provincia, donde mostró sus habilidades para el ajedrez rápido”, comentó la gran maestra Claudia Amura, jefa de Ajedrez de la ULP. “Sin duda la humildad es una de las características de esta mega estrella del ajedrez mundial –agregó Amura−. Susan elogió San Luis, por su importante inversión en la enseñanza del ajedrez en las escuelas, y el apoyo que se brinda a los niños y jóvenes destacados. También, subrayó el uso de herramientas tecnológicas para la enseñanza, y puntualizó en la enorme inversión que realiza la Provincia para que todos los niños de primaria tengan su computadora personal”.

Juan Anzorena fue uno de los contrincantes ciegos que enfrentó a Polgar. Señaló que lo más significativo de jugar con ella es que es un símbolo en la historia del ajedrez, porque “como mujer fue precursora de este deporte y una de las primeras que derrotó a hombres, en un ámbito donde el sexo masculino era considerado el único capaz de jugar con excelencia”. Su compañero, Juan Miranda, también ciego, dijo que “fue un orgullo jugar contra Susan” y que “estas oportunidades se dan una sola vez en la vida”. En tanto que
Gabriel Perrone agregó: “Desde que salí de casa estuve temblando. Me sentí muy nervioso, pero a la vez muy emocionado por jugar con una persona con la capacidad de Susan. Sus jugadas y la velocidad con que resuelve los movimientos, son impresionantes”.

El nerviosismo también fue compartido por Gladys Argüello, instructora de la ULP. “A pesar de los nervios que tuve, me siento muy satisfecha de haber jugado con una personalidad del nivel de Susan”, contó. En tanto que su colega Mabel Giménez llegó desde Tilisarao para participar. “Me inicié en el ajedrez hace 4 años. Empecé a practicar este deporte gracias a mi hija y me entusiasmé con la actividad, y ahora tuve el gran honor de enfrentar a Susan Polgar”, detalló.

La gran maestra húngara también enfrentó a dieciocho jóvenes ajedrecistas de la Escuela de Talentos. En cuanto a la experiencia, Amura relató que “Susan parecía una aplanadora, pasaba velozmente por cada tablero, sin siquiera mirarlo antes de realizar fugazmente cada movida, lo cual causó asombro”.

Durante la actividad hubo invitados especiales de Río IV –campeones del sub 14−, chicos de la Escuela de Pre-talentos de la ULP, y un aficionado de España que estaba de visita en la provincia y no pudo resistir la tentación de enfrentar a la gran maestra. Como parte de la propuesta, además, se proyectó un documental de National Geographic sobre la vida de la campeona, el cual destaca las capacidades mentales de la ajedrecista, adquiridas a través de la práctica continua del deporte ciencia.

http://www.ulp.edu.ar