Chess Is Cool for Kids!
By Leopold Lacrimosa

Walt Disney Pictures announced they will start production on the movie “I Choose to Stay”, to be released in 2005. It is based on the book “I Choose to Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City”, published in 2003 by Kensington Publishing and written by Salome Thomas-EL. Mr. Thomas-El, a gifted child who was raised in the projects of Philadelphia, Pa., earned an Ivy League education and returned to Philadelphia in 1987 to become a teacher at Vaux Middle School.

There he revived the then dormant chess club and with a profound belief in his student’s potential, taught the children to play chess. These children then went on to win local and national competitions. Mr. Thomas-El used these accomplishments to motivate hundreds of the children to attend magnet high schools and then go on to major colleges and universities. Many have gone on to do greater things in higher education and in the professional world.

Can Chess Really do that for Kids?

But is this result all because of chess? After all it’s just a game, right? What many parents are beginning to learn is that chess can and does help foster developmental thinking in children.

Yasser Seirawan, one of America’s premier Grand Masters, World Junior Champion (1987), four-times U.S. Champion (1981, 1986, 1989 and 2000), ten-time member of the U.S. Olympiad chess team (he was also one of the top scorers at Bled 2002 Olympiad, achieving an individual silver medal for his performance) and five time contender for the World Crown (1985, 1987, 1997, 1999 and 2000) is fond of saying that chess teaches the 5 R’s. Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Responsibility and Respect.

Chess and the 5 R's for Kids

Chess and Reading: because kids must study from many chess books in order to develop their game.

Chess and Writing: because the rules of chess state that you must keep a score of your game.

Chess and Math: because each piece on the chess board has value, some greater than others; if you loose stronger pieces for lesser ones, it may cost you the game.

Chess and Responsibility: because you and you alone must direct your army of pieces to its best deployment, and bad decisions will allow your men to be captured with little or no compensation, which may also cost you the game.

Chess and Respect: because you respect yourself as well as your opponent, each game begins with a handshake and ends with a handshake.

Chess Helps Developmental Thinking in Kids

As a chess coach, I have seen that chess does more, much more. When a child takes up the Royal game, (chess has been around since about 550-620 A.D. and has been known as the “King of Games" and the "Game of Kings”), he begins to develop logical thinking, critical thinking, decision making, problem solving, as well as, mathematical skills, algebra and geometry.

A study by Dr Peter Dauvergne at the University of Sydney, has found that students who play chess have raised their intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in the following areas:

• Strengthened problem solving skills
• Learned how to make difficult and abstract decisions independently
• Enhance reading, memory, language, and mathematical abilities; fostered critical, creative, and original thinking
• Provided practice at making accurate and fast decisions under time pressure, (a skill that can help improve exam scores at school)
• Taught them how to think logically and efficiently, learning to select the "best" choice from a large number of options
• Challenged gifted children while potentially helping underachieving gifted students learn how to study and strive for excellence
• Demonstrated the importance of flexible planning, concentration, and the consequences of decisions
• Reached boys and girls regardless of their natural abilities or socio-economic backgrounds.

Other Studies Showing that Chess is Good for Kids

"Chess in Education Research Summary" by Robert Ferguson (1995). A 14-page summary of key chess research.

"Chess Improves Academic Performance" summary of NY School Chess Program.

"The Importance of Chess in the Classroom", Atlantic Chess News, 1990 (Michael D. Wojcio). Wojcio teaches chess to slow learners in 5 NJ schools and this describes his program and the benefits.

"Chess and Education" (John Artise). After 2 years of psychological research in chess, Artise found cognitive improvements in memory, logic, observation and analysis, and operant conditioning.

"The Effect of Chess on Reading Scores" by Stuart Margulies, Ph. D.

"Teaching the Fourth R (Reasoning) Through Chess" (Robert Ferguson). A 1979 project teaching the gifted (grade 7-9) in Bradford Pa. Statistical "proof" that chess increases thinking scores. Also, includes description of teaching program.

"Chess Makes Kids Smart" (Anne Graham-PARENTS-Dec 1985). Urges parents to introduce their kids to chess and quotes work of Pete Shaw, Jeff Chesin, Bob Cotter, etc.

"Chess Makes Kids Smarter" (Dr. Gerard J. Dullea).

"Chess as a Way to Teach Thinking" (Diane Horgan).

These are only scratching the surface. In the Netherlands, the Dutch found that kids who play chess overall do 8% better in mathematics and science compared to kids who didn’t play (The statistic for girls alone is a difference of 12%).

Chess in the Schools

Chess (long embraced by the Russians and Europeans who have taught the game as part of their educational curriculum) has now moved as part of the curriculum in hundreds of schools in our Northern neighbor, Canada. They have seen the benefits of children learning the game.

But these reasons don’t compel children to take up the game. As a chess coach, I have seen attendance swell in the school chess clubs I teach. The company I work for in Phoenix, AZ, has seen a 20% annual growth in children’s chess participation from its onset eight years ago. When I started teaching chess five years ago, we would hold a scholastic tournament with 70 players. When we had a hundred and fifty entrants we thought it was big. This year (2004) in the eight tournaments we’ve held, the average attendance exceeded 350 in 5 sections, and that’s only from the greater Phoenix area. The Arizona State Championship and the Arizona Governor’s Cup each saw close to 600 entrants while the recent U.S. Chess Federation’s Elementary Championship was close 2100 children in attendance.

Kids are Attracted to Chess

So why are children attracted to chess? I believe that it appeals to our (their) inherited, individualistic, competitive nature. As a child grows, he/she wants to stand on their own, away from any parent or guardian and at the same time, when achieving a goal, say to them, “Hey, look what I can do!”

Unlike many team sports, chess players do stand on their own. If they loose a game, it is their fault, their failure and no one else’s. They cannot blame their loss on a teammate’s failure to pass the ball, miss the goal, or in being forced to play no matter how bad at the game the teammate may be. At the same time, when they win, it is also on their shoulders. It is because they were the ones who had put a little extra effort into learning the intricacies of the game. They are the ones who out thought their opponent in a long drawn out struggle or a short trap. And after their match, that win can create an adrenaline high that is unmatched except at the professional levels of sports.

Children who take up chess harbor deep emotions for the game. Once learned, it is with them for life. Yet, it is only those who play competitive chess who will develop into better players quicker than those who just learn the moves of the game. But is this healthy? Isn’t fostering a competitive attitude in our children supposed to be a bad thing? I don’t believe so, at least not in the competitive chess arena.

I’ve seen kids in chess grow up to become great kids. Kids who are jumpy, calm down; Kids who are overly hyper, sit and play for hours; Kids who are too emotional, learn to take losses and come back to play again; Kids who are over achievers, learn that there is always someone else out there who can beat you; Kids who never believe that they can perform or excel at anything, win games. Kids who want to win at all costs learn that winning isn’t everything. And I’ve seen kids, win or loose, connect with their parents at an indescribable level when they walk out of the tournament hall.

I believe chess is good for you and is great for children.

And in the immortal words of the 13th World Chess Champion, Gary Kasparov:

“If you think it’s just a game, than you’re not playing it right!”