schguide

Experience shows it to be true - students who learn to play chess show noticeable improvement in grades, standardized test scores, and in increased attention span.

Tennessee has one of the nation's most outstanding chess programs for scholastic-age players. Every year hundreds of school-age players from across Tennessee compete in local, regional and state championship events. There are both individual and team competitions, as well as events for players of all ages and skill levels.

Anyone Can Learn

Despite its image as a game for "brains," chess is easy to learn and is appropriate for primary age through high school. Most six- and seven-year-olds can learn the rules quickly. Children do not have to be unusually bright to enjoy chess. Chess works so well with developing minds because it is self-motivating - it's fun to play chess!

Boys and girls of all backgrounds can compete on equal terms. They learn to have confidence in their ability to think and to make decisions that affect their future, and they also learn to recognize and respect others. Not every child who learns chess will become a champion, but all can benefit from the skills chess teaches - and they will learn a stimulating, rewarding game that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

Unlike most other competitive sports, chess does not require special physical training and skills. Handicapped, blind, and learning disabled children can compete with other children on an equal basis. Chess is a healthy competitive outlet for those who do not normally compete.

Everybody Benefits

Teachers across the country are finding that chess shows children the rewards of study and practice. Through independent reading and research, students learn principles that they can apply immediately and not only to their chess games but also to real-life problems as well.

Many teachers also use chess as a tool for teaching critical thinking skills by emphasizing that learning how to solve a problem is more important than the solution to a particular problem. Through chess, students learn how to analyze a situation by focusing on the important factors and discarding the distractions. They learn to devise creative solutions and to put their plans into action.

INSIGHT magazine's 1989 article entitled "Putting Academic Trouble in Check" reported that "Educators have a new strategy when it comes to helping disadvantaged students: teach them to play chess. By competing successfully with more talented students in a game known for being complicated and intellectual, problem students are given a chance to improve heir self-esteem."

A math teacher and chess club sponsor describes chess as "probably the best game there is for developing logical, precise thinking" and adds that chess helps to encourage patience, sharp memory, the ability to concentrate, problem-solving skills, and the understanding that certain behaviors carry certain consequences.

A teacher of inner-city students says, "The majority of kids I work with would be considered 'average.' Some are below average. But they get interested in chess, and they work hard at it. Determination is definitely a factor."

A teacher of mentally challenged children stresses the importance of chess in teaching concentration and pattern recognition. "In my mind, all education is about learning to see and break down patterns. Chess gives these kids concrete examples of how to do this."