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.

Page 2 of Chess is Cool for Kids


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