Ask Dr. Chess
Please describe the current dimensions of the scholastic chess world and the status of extracurricular chess in Northwest primary and secondary education.
Chess has a culture, a history, and a written language. Like music and
mathematics, chess has its prodigies and a permanent, positive and
contributing place in popular society and civilization. Chess has informed
social and political leaders since its inception; from Charlemagne to
Saladin to Napoleon to Benjamin Franklin, chess has played a significant
role in the bringing together of peoples and ideas. Chess has long stood as
the sine qua non of intellectual endeavor and accomplishment in western
civilization.
Today, chess education has become the single most important academic
enrichment movement in the new millennium. Chess is a stealth educational
activity that teaches logic, critical thinking and creative problem solving
by means of a child-friendly and hands-on cooperative dialog between two
players. Children learn positive habits of mind without even realizing they
are being taught. Chess is everywhere in schools and society: chess is
played in the classroom, in after-school clubs, in shopping malls, on the
internet, at museums and fairs, in city parks, between company chess teams,
on the ferry, in the car, and with computer opponents, locally, nationally
and internationally. Chess is regularly seen and referenced in magazines,
commercials and popular films (Dr. Chess particularly enjoyed the scene from
last summer's Charlie's Angels movie where a girl chess player defeated a
seasoned Grandmaster!).
Preschoolers play chess -- many scholastic clubs now support a special
group for these young players; kindergarteners play chess -- Washington
State was home to the National Kindergarten Champion in 2002; elementary
school students play chess -- Washington and Oregon delivered the greatest
number of
elementary school participants ever to the Portland National Elementary
Championships
in 2002; middle school students play chess -- the Northwest is home to 3rd,
4th, 7th and 8th grade 2003 National Champions; and high schoolers play chess -- high
schools compete in leagues of their own all over the Northwest. Contact the
Washington State High School Chess Association for more information:
http://www.whsca.org/.
Boys play chess and girls play chess: elementary school chess clubs have as
many or more girls playing chess as boys. Girls regularly defeat boys in
scholastic events and the favor is happily returned! The Northwest is
home to some of the strongest women and girl chess players in America
including Woman's Grandmaster Elena Donaldson. Northwest schools
regularly field teams with participating boys and girls which finish in the
top ten in national competition.
Chess expands the communication spectrum between human beings. Chess as a
sport, a science and an art, allows humans to interact in a positive, life
affirming and self-enriching way. To play chess is to learn. Chess is part
of ongoing adult education so important in these knowledge based and
interesting times: chess is one vital expression of a life of the mind and
lifelong learning. Chess is pro-education, pro-family and pro-social.
Chess is an important community and communication fabric woven within the
tapestry of global civilization. Chess is many things to millions of
people. Dr. Chess believes, however, that chess has a particularly valuable
mission to play in childhood development and education. Chess is a window
through which only the sunshine and rainbows of the adult world are allowed
to illuminate the minds and emotions of children. Open the window! And let
the sunshine of chess warm your heart and delight your mind: chess is
everywhere!
Chess is a reduced and simplified model of life in our physical universe.
Starting from the basic elements of time, space, material, structure and
life, chess allows complex strategical entanglements to be generated that
mimic the cultural and political involvements present in
human societies. Chess has the virtue of being able to demonstrate, on a
small scale, the essence of truth, beauty and justice that we come to know
in practice, on a large scale, as citizens, consumers, and family members.
Chess is for everyone -- children and adults alike! Chess is even for
computers: the top chess playing computers have repeatedly drawn matches
with top human players in recent years.
These are expansive and rewarding times for scholastic chess in the
Northwest. Enrollment in elementary and middle school programs is
increasing at most existing scholastic chess clubs and more new chess clubs
are now being established in public and private schools than ever before.
Chess links the being of learning with the doing of successful and enjoyable
activity. Students, through chess, can immediately link new knowledge and
skills with fun activities and the useful implementation of their new
abilities. Chess tournaments are gatherings of students who share a common
interest actively engaged in pursuing their sport. Chess tournaments are
akin to track meets where student athletes (here mental athletes) compete in
sequential games throughout the day to determine a set of champions.
Scholastic chess tournaments in the Northwest are typically organized by a
group of parents (at a given host school) and are played at a host school
which has a well functioning chess club. Most scholastic chess tournaments
are played during the scholastic chess season lasting from November through
April.
Parents support extracurricular chess with their efforts and leadership as a
supplement to their child's classroom education. Chess play and practice
act as positive, challenging, and character-building activities. Parents
see the need for their children to develop healthy habits of mind and value
the critical thinking and creative problem solving skills inherent in
studying and playing chess. Parent interest leads to new chess programs;
parental commitment fills the ranks of chess club leaders; and parental
involvement motivates moms and dads to spend their Saturdays at chess
tournaments in support of their children.
The Seattle-based Chess Mates Foundation hosts the Fall Chess Kickoff
tournament the Saturday before Thanksgiving. In the spring, Chess Mates
hosts the Chess
Fest tournament near the end of the scholastic season. These two Chess
Mates' events, now the opening and closing bookends of the competitive scholastic
chess year, allowed hundreds of public and private school students to match
wits and practice their expression of thought and imagination.
In January 2004, Chess Mates Foundation and the Seattle Art Museum will
present a month-long "Chess in Art and Art in Chess" exhibition of student
art on chess themes in
downtown Seattle. The Grand Opening of this special chess exhibition,
featuring simultaneous play by Grandmaster Elena Donaldson, will be held on
January 8th. The 2004 Washington State Elementary School Chess
Championship, to be held in April at Bellevue Community College, is expected
to host more than 1,000 pre-qualified students -- more than the
National Elementary School Championship did just a decade ago!
The Northwest is home to many Grandmasters, International Masters,
and National Masters of chess. Businesses support chess, schools support
chess, foundations support chess, and political leaders support chess.
Chess organizers and organizations in the Northwest have been awarded with
the Golden Apple Award, The Katherine M. Bullitt Award, The Superintendent's
Award, The Golden Acorn Award, The Koltanowsky Award, and other academic,
civic, and corporate honors. A chess master was just elected to the King
County Council in 2003 and many locally elected school board members started
their academic involvement through school chess clubs. Chess has become
part of the fabric of our Northwest culture.
Scholastic chess, along with recognition of the educational mission of
chess, is permeating the highest echelons of organized chess in America.
The new President of the United States Chess Federation (USCF) is Beatriz
Marinello, a long time chess teacher and scholastic coach. The President of
the Washington Chess Federation (WCF) is supportive of scholastic
chess and now sits on the Board of Directors of the Chess Mates Foundation.
The OCF and WCF host large student-friendly chess tournaments every year:
The Oregon Open at Labor Day, the Washington Open during the Memorial Day
holiday and the Washington Class Championships on the weekend after
Thanksgiving (calendar and contact information are
available at www.nwchess.com). The Seattle Chess Club hosts regular adult
and scholastic tournaments along with youth nights and educational events
(contact http://www.seattlechessclub.org/ for more information).
Chess is helping to educate the next generation of engineers, scientists,
professionals and civic leaders. Chess education is making a difference in
student's lives, and more US colleges are offering chess scholarships to
recruit students. The University of Texas, the University of Maryland, the
University of New Mexico, Morehead State, and Jackson State are among many
schools now offering chess scholarships, seeking to attract demonstrably
bright students through chess (contact the
US Chess Federation at www.uschess.org for more information on chess
scholarships).
The 21st century is now identified as the information century. Chess
provides students practice in separating and processing information,
misinformation and disinformation. The global competitive arena in 21st
century industry and commerce will be about information share, intellectual
property, and knowledge economics. Dr. Chess believes that playing chess
has the potential to prepare students for successful professional lives
while also feeding and expanding their cultural minds and artistic souls.
Chess is a world -- an ocean: "Chess is an ocean in which a gnat may drink
or an elephant bathe." (Popular Indian Proverb). This new world awaits
you -- have fun and play chess along with the thousands of Northwest
students and parents enjoying this ancient 'Game of Kings.'
Dr. Chess wishes you a Happy New Year of Chess! Have fun! Play chess!
Copyright 2004 Dr. Leo Stefurak
Originally in Northwest Chess magazine, Jan 2004