St. Francis Xavier School's Chess Club Page

There are five very important reasons why our children should learn to play chess. These five reasons also apply to real life situations like our daily interaction with one another, business, and leadership. The five reasons are:

1) Planning
2) Analysis - Logical Thinking and Reasoning
3) Decision Making
4) Time Management
5) Independence

Planning

In business and other aspects of our daily lives we need to plan our activities to give ourselves a chance to succeed in whatever it is we are involved. Without planning we will simply be groping and hoping we succeed. This skill can be learned in chess. The player must make a plan and know why he/she makes the moves that he/she makes. The player must be ready in an instant to come up with plan B if plan A does not succeed. As in life, if a chess player moves without a plan, he/she loses quickly.



Analysis - Logical Thinking and Reasoning

In our daily lives and the business world, situations come up that need total logical thinking and reasoning to analyze and understand the situation before the correct conclusion can be drawn. In the game of chess the position changes with every move and therefore logic and reason are constantly used to find a solution to the problem at hand. The game is therefore a good tool, in addition to mathematics, music, languages, and team sports to help our children develop this useful skill at an early age. The best part about chess is that age and size don't stop anyone from learning. Jose Raul Capablanca (1888-1942), a Cuban Grandmaster, learned to play chess by watching his father. At age 4 he played his first game against his father and won! He became World Chess Champion in 1927. The former World Chess Champion, Bobby Fischer, started playing at age nine and became a Grandmaster, highest title one can attain in chess, at age fourteen. He was the youngest Grandmaster at the time. He defeated Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union to become an American World Chess Champion in 1972.

Decision Making

Only after a complete analysis of a problem or situation can we come to a reasonable decision. In the game of chess a player analyses the changing positions, draws up a new plan if need be and makes a confident decision about what his/her move will be. Once the decision is made, it stands. The game of chess is therefore a great tool for teaching decision-making, instilling confidence, and taking responsibility for one's actions.

Time Management

There are time management classes to help us manage our time efficiently in many schools today. Well, a young child can learn time management by learning and playing chess. In a chess tournament one has to make certain number of moves in a certain amount of time. Of course not just any moves but the most correct moves as dictated by the condition. So a chess player can be expected to take a project, plan it, think it through logically, make all the correct decisions, and deliver a quality product at or before the deadline whether independently or in a team situation.

Independence

Because a Chess player makes a plan, analyzes a situation, confidently makes a decision, and is responsible for his/her actions, it is safe to say that chess also teaches independence.

Contact information:

If you are interesting in working with me to start a chess program or improve the one you already have in your school, please contact me, Gatumba Abu, at 617-838-1060 or 617-333-0843. I am also available for one-on-one lessons.