Benefits of Chess for Kids
Chess as School Curriculum: What do Kids Get from It?
Many schools across Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States have been educating chess inside the classrooms. They are not particularly labeling chess as an extracurricular activity but rather as an educational subject. Since 20th century the Russians have conquered the world of chess. Why is it so? Perhaps, it’s for the reason that chess has been treated as an academic subject in majority of the schools in Russian for almost 50 years now.
There have been extensive anecdotal proofs that chess encourages intellectual growth in children. In 1991 and 1996, a famous educational psychiatrist Stuart Margulies, conducted researches on the possible effects of chess on a child’s reading skill. The studies proved that children, who joined in schools’ chess program, enhanced their scores on regular tests. The progress was even better for children whose first scores were low.
In 1990, a study confirmed in Texas that elementary pupils who joined in the chess club showed much improvement in mathematics and reading as they start to reach the third grade. Students who are also participating in the program are observed to improve a lot on standardized examination.
Why is chess very beneficial to many particularly to children? Chess has showed to develop or increase:
Math solving problems
Reading skills
Confidence
Tolerance
Sense of judgment
Critical thinking
Ability to recognize patterns
Concentration
Analytical skills
Actually the lists above are only some that you can expect to acquire from playing chess.
Majority of the schools and teachers of different countries, especially in the United States, are receiving the message and have started to introduce chess in the classrooms. Different schools’ chess clubs are also initiated primarily today that chess is considered one of the important academic subjects in schools.
Schools in the city of New York have been mainly helpful in establishing chess to different classroom. The effort has been organized and led by an academic, non-revenue organization named Chess in the Schools. The main aim of this organization is to enhance academic performance and develop self-confidence among the city public schools.
In 1986 the organization has been active in educating chess to more than students in the entire New York City. In the recent research of teachers who are involved in the programs 86% documented that chess has direct and constructive influences on their students.
In March of 2008, a newspaper had reported that the States of Idaho will be considered the first state of the U.S. to give a chess curriculum in the entire state. The curriculum will be given to all second and third grade pupils. In addition, Idaho is reported to have 40,000 second and third graders and the program is expected to allocate about $200,000. Just imagine how important chess must be to be allocated with such big amount.
Furthermore, many U.S. states have endorsed legislation which approves the establishment of chess in school curriculum. Specifically, New Jersey had conceded a bill allowing different educational boards to give chess lecture starting to the second graders. The bill said that:
- 1.Chess enhances strategic thinking abilities and promotes creative activity.
- 2.Chess can also enhance the ability of a child to recognize intricate patterns and thus excel both in Science and Math.
If politicians can only appreciate the significance of playing chess for kids, perhaps every child in every school in the entire country is already benefiting from playing chess.
Classical World Chess Player Champions
Although there have been many great chess players in the history of chess game, there is only a selected few that have the honor to hold the World Champion title. In this article, you can see those officially recognized champions in World Chess however; there were also several unofficial champions such as Paul Morphy previous to 1886.
The World Chess Champions’ classical line began with Wilhelm Steinitz’s victory against Johannes Zukertort in their match in 1886. Since that time, the World Chess Championship has been typically competed between the current chess champion and a chess challenger in a match of chess game. Though, chess tournaments have been used on various occasion for different reasons.
As mentioned earlier, Wilhelm Steinitz is the first official World Chess Champion in 1886. He is acknowledged as the founder of a school in positional chess. His type of play was a sharp change from romantic then attacking chess that is famous all through out the 19th century. Steinitz played this kind of style in his early chess career but came to believe that a subtle and safe positional game play was necessary for mastering truly the chess game. At first, this theory was found strange by most of chess players but eventually proof of their effectiveness came through the chess match victories of Steinitz. Sometimes, his revolutionary style was also his greatest weakness. Most of the time, he often needed a dogmatic defense to his approach. He even played inferior moves and positions just to be able to prove that his theories were correct. There are many notable accomplishments of Steinitz.
Then there is Emmanuel Lasker in 1894 to 1921. Lasker, in his time was seen as such a psychological chess player who would play inferior moves just to throw his opponents off. Lasker was simply a hard headed chess player that played chess moves that sometimes violate the general principle of chess if he felt that they were appropriate for that given situation at hand. He held the World Chess Championship longer that any other chess players in the history of chess. His long termed dominant chess plays find him almost on the top most lists of the all time greatest chess players in the world. He defeated Steinitz and keep as a Chess Champion until he was defeated by Raul Capablanca in 1921.
After Jose Raul Capablanca in 1921 to 1927, there comes Alexander Alekhine in 1927-1935. After 2 years from 1935, in 1937 he became active again up to 1946. Next is Max Euwe in 1935 to 1937. Mikhail Botvinnik won the Championship title in 1948 to 1957 while Vasily Smyslov acquired the title in 1957-1958. Then again, Mikhail Botwinnik got it in 1958-1960 until he was defeated. Mikhail Tal won as Champion in 1960 – 1961. Again, Mikhail Botwinnik grabbed the title in 1961 – 1963 and many other more followed.
They are who inspired us to study and play the game of chess and be better in it. Who knows, maybe you can also emerge as Champion if you can just be patient and master the chess game.
How to Use Inert and Forward Images in Chess
Inert imaging in chess involves assessing an existing position and regarding it as the final assessment of the game. Even though the game is going to continue, you’ve made up your mind that the game is over, there are just some minor difficulties to overcome and you don’t feel they will take much mental challenge.
When you utilize inert imaging, you are transferring the present situation to the future and thus weakening your objectivity when assessing current positions on the board. Often an inert image is made in haste and is incorrect, leading you to make assumptions about continued play that also incorrect.
You may feel you recognize a well-known type of position which you think will predetermine the end result of the game. This assumption causes you to relax your attention and you become complacent and often over-confident. You lower your ability to switch your attention and analyze ahead, thus causing you to make errors.
Often you come to see these inert images when you feel you have the better position or even winning position on the board. Feeling over-confident in your position you overlook the possibility of changes in positions. You are guided solely by the present inert image without taking into consideration any changes.
Although inert images by their nature present a negative front because they cause deficiencies in thinking. With practice and training, you can overcome the negative aspects. You need to train yourself to look for paradoxical situations, develop more concrete thinking and look for exceptions to the rules.
Another means to overcome inert images is to take yourself out of your plans and objectives and place yourself in your opponent’s mind. Cross to the other side of the board and look at the positions through your opponent’s eyes. This allows you to discover a more objective approach to assessing each situation and therefore avoiding pre-conceived assessments.
Forward images come about when players are thinking about future changes in positions. Often forward images become so over-estimated in player’s minds that they can appear as though the already exist on the board. Forward images can come in two forms; one is where your opponent’s possible threats become accepted as already present or become such an obsession that you treat them real factors when assessing the current positions. The second is when you put to much emphasis on your own possible future maneuvers that you are unprepared for actual positions.
Another way to describe forward images is to think of them as mirages created by your imagination. Forward imaging causes you to become so wrapped up in the mirage that you can’t transfer your attention back to the reality of the situation.
While future imaging can have a negative impact on your game, it has a positive side also. Used properly it can help you develop your imagination when mixed with perception. Learn to use forward images to foresee events on the board. After our opponent makes his move, take the time to evaluate the forward image, look the board over one more time, re-evaluate your move and then make your move.
Advantage of Using the Retained Chess Image
There are three types of chess images that you’ll use. These are retained, inert and forward. Each of these chess images has active qualities used in chess thinking and playing. Let’s closely examine the retained image first
The retained image is assessing the transference of a previously learned or used position or the action of separate pieces into a new situation that has arisen on the board without altering the retained image. When using this type of play assessment you are letting the past play continue into the present. Using the retained image also causes your thinking to become static and can cause your attention to become reduced also.
With the retained image assessing for moves both present and future you are relying on maintaining control over certain moves or pieces. This limits your ability to transfer your attention and evaluate the situation or positions objectively. The image of a position can become so persistent that you hold onto the belief that your assumptions about that position and concurrent moves still hold true. When, in fact, your opponent’s next moves can alter everything.
For the retained image to work in your favor, you need to record it as not just a single piece on the board and its function or by an individual square on the board. Record it instead as a group of pieces or squares with more complex relationships to each other.
Learn to use tactical and strategic thoughts to imprint the individual pieces, squares and moves into retained images.
Occasionally, you may find yourself with a retained image linked with an optical illusion of the images of pieces which are no longer on the board. The actions of those pieces in previous plays may have been so intense and demanded so much concentration that when you try to turn your attention to other elements of the current positions that you find it difficult, even when these pieces have been physically either exchanged or captured. You find yourself in a battle with a shadow or a ghost instead of your opponent.
When you learn to use the retained image to regulate your attention and promote self-control, you open your mind to creative thinking. The retained image can help you to use ideas that came up earlier in the game in a changed form and apply them to the peculiarities of a new position. It allows you to exercise continuity in thinking.
Using the retained image allows you to formulate premises that help you keep to a general plan which, in turn, makes your play more efficient and allowing for development in each stage of the play. Often a previously conceived plan will contain a hidden nuance which can be used in a future play, even if its immediate play would yield no results. When these situations arise you make a mental note and occupy yourself with waiting maneuvers.
As you learn to view separate moves as linked elements in the development of the game, develops your dynamic thinking and concentration. You learn to divide the game into isolated phases where static, unchanging retained images are transferred from one stage to another as the game progresses.
Understanding Basic Chess Pieces Moves
Each of the chess pieces has its own unique style movement. However, they can all move if no other pieces including your own piece are between the initial piece position and its destination except for the Knights. If there is an opposing piece at the destination square, the moving chess piece can capture that opponent’s piece and be able to remove from the play. The pawn is the only exception because its way of capturing the chess pieces is by diagonally forward.
The King, even though it is the most important piece in the chess game can only move one square at a time at any direction (forward, backward, left side, right side, or diagonally). The Queen however, is the most powerful and can move at any direction same as the King but with long ranges. It can move up to the maximum square available in a straight direction. The Rooks can be moved forward or backward only but also in a long range. The Bishops can be moved diagonally in a long range while the Knights moved in an “L-shape” direction and can jump with other chess pieces. The Pawns, even though they are the most numbered piece in the game, can only move one square forward and no backward or side movements. However, in the start move, they can be moved two squares forward and when they capture, they capture diagonally.
There are also special moves in the chess game. One is by castling. Once in every chess game, each King is allowed to move in a special move known as castling. Castling is when the King moved two squares towards the Rook. The Rook is then placed immediately at the far side of the King. Castling can only be made if first, neither the pieces that will be use in castling are previously moved during the game; second is there must be no other piece between the Rook and the King; third, the King is not currently check or the King will be placed in check position; and lastly, the King and Rook must be standing in the same rank.
Another kind of movement in chess is called the En passant. When a Pawn moves in two squares, if an opposing Pawn is positioned on an adjacent file that is next to the destination of your Pawn then, the opposing Pawn can be allowed to capture it and move on its next turn to the square where the Pawn was passed over.
Next is called the promotion chess. When your own Pawn advances to the eight rank and successfully moved to the opponents’ side of the chess board then it is promoted and can be exchanged to any choice of queen, rook, bishop, or knight of its color. The most common promotion of a Pawn is chosen to be a Queen because two Queens in a chess board game is better than one. However, this is very hard to achieve, as your opponent will see to it that you do not get an advantage by promoting your Pawns.
