Image by avlxyz via Flickr

One common misconception that I hear a lot, is that in a game of chess, the king can be captured.  It makes sense, since every other piece can be taken. However, during the game, the king is never removed from the board.

Sometimes a student of ours will become puzzled because their parent or grandparent will insist that the king can be captured.  After all, it was how they were taught.

After I ran into this problem a few times, I started offering to give parents a free 1-hour lesson.  The purpose was so that they could play with their children in between lessons, and we’d all be on the same page.

When I hit on this concept, I was pregnant, so I would stipulate that they needed to buy me coffee and a scone (I’d get hungry at the drop of a hat).  It was a hit and I’ve kept it in as a tradition.  Even though I’m no longer pregnant, I still ask for a scone.  I like scones.

One father pointed out that sometimes people knock the king over.  Perhaps that helps to create a confusion.

Knocking over the king is more of a dramatic statement than a true ritual of chess.  It looks good in a picture or movie, but you rarely see the gesture in a tournament. Certainly you wouldn’t knock over your opponent’s king (that would be very rude).

One friend pointed out that throughout history, when a war was won, the losing king was often permitted to live, out of respect.  Perhaps this is the reason that the king isn’t captured in chess – it mirrors life.

Whatever the reason, trust me, you do not remove the king from the board.  He stays on, through to the very end.  If you have any questions on this, buy me a coffee and a scone, and we can talk about it some more.

Imagine a world where people all have excellent problem solving skills, where they are patient and respectful of each other on a daily basis.

A society where citizens live for the future and plan long term, thinking of where their children’s children will be, following through, seeing each goal to its conclusion with ease.

Now add to that an indefinable quality of artistic imagination, dreaming for more than can be reasonably expected, reaching beyond the status quo.

Chess can teach our next generation all these skills and more!

I learned the game when I was young and to this day I see the world as a giant chess game where any barrier can be conquered and any victory can be achieved. No goal is impossible and when I have a target in sight there is no stopping me.

The same glint I had in my eye when I faced an opponent at a chess tournament still exists today when I face a challenge, along with the insouciant grin that comes from the pure joy of the experience.

Intuitively most would agree that chess improves a student’s grades and ability to study. Numerous studies have been done over the years throughout the world that show this to be the case. IQ increases, reading test results improve as do math and science scores. However there are so many other skills children pick up naturally from learning and becoming good at chess.

Imagination is a must in chess. You cannot form strategies and tactical plans without being able to envision your goals. It is impossible to win a game without first imagining the victory. You are the one to make the pieces dance to the rhythm you choose. Without the player the pieces just sit dormant on a dusty board.

A child’s self confidence soars as the victories pile up, especially when that child can routinely trounce adults. Allow that child to teach other children or perhaps even the adults and he or she will master the game quickly. Nothing helps someone learn faster than teaching others and nothing does more for one’s pride than to see someone improve under one’s tutelage.

In order to achieve a victory one must consistently play well throughout the game. You can make forty excellent moves and one thoughtless blunder and lose the game instantly. As a result you quickly learn to be thorough in your analysis and patient with your moves. Imagine if we all applied this little lesson to our daily lives.

Thoughtless comments, heat of the moment bursts of anger, crimes of passion might just become things of the past to be studied as a part of a history lesson.

If every parent initiated regular family chess nights and if every school taught chess as part of their daily lesson plan imagine where our country could be. Children naturally are drawn to chess.

If you don’t believe me try an easy experiment. Go to an area populated with children, put out a chess set and see what happens. I promise you they will flock to the board and become immersed in a game. We all have the power to fuel our children’s existing passion for learning and help our next generation soar.

Let’s make a difference!

(Note: Thanks to Louis Lima for the wonderful photo!)

Image by ninahale via Flickr

In a little over a week we will have our first chess tournament of 2010!  The children are all very excited.  There will be over 40 children in attendance, their ages ranging from 5 – 14.  Some are experienced chess players, while some just learned how the pieces move.

We will have the tournament in the lunchroom at Delphi Academy of Florida on Monday, February 22nd.  It is the perfect location.

Delphi Academy, Clearwater Academy and Jewish Day School will all be in attendance.  Although Jewish Day School are the “new kids on the block” for these tournaments, a number of them have been playing in local tournaments on the weekends.

In the past we have kept it informal, focusing on the win of participation. However this year we will offer prizes to the winners of each section.

Although there will still be the joy of becoming a “tournament chess player” for all our new students, prizes are important motivation for study and play outside of class.

I run several groups on Linkedin.com.  One is a writing group called, “Write On, Networkers!”  We recently started writing Haiku and one member wrote one about chess.  I asked him if I could publish it here for you and he agreed.

Chess Haiku

Written by Martin Kelly

a knight moves to check
revealing bishop takes queen
indefensibly