Chess, Not Checkers

Written By: Rekkai Steed

I learned to play chess at a very young age. My dad considered himself a prodigy and oftentimes told stories of playing grandmasters and handing them their tail (beating them senseless). I suppose you would tell a child anything to get him or her to go to sleep. However, the one thing he said that stuck with me before I dozed off into REM sleep was that chess was a game played by the royal community.

Chess is the ultimate game of strategy and anticipation. It is believed that chess was invented in India in the 6th Century CE (Common Era, what we used to refer to as A.D.). The game became popular and widespread when the Muslim world discovered chess after the Arabs took over Persia. Some scholars believe it was created in China. Nevertheless, the Moors are responsible for spreading it to the world and Southern Europe.

I advocate for my children in all that they do, including them learning and playing chess. Chess,

not checkers. Checkers is a game that is so typical of life. Your entire strategy is to jump your opponent’s piece and move straight ahead to be awarded with a more powerful piece. This is life in a nutshell. Many people can’t see the entire board and have “tunnel vision” when it comes to doing whatever it takes to “hop” over or get past whoever they need to in order to get ahead. Future consequences do not matter because the task is to jump over your opponent to get to the finish line. Chess is a fine tuned game of strategy and patience, something checkers can not rival. Thus, I have always had a preference for chess.

Chess is more sophisticated and had the approach to sit back and let all of the pieces make their way onto the board while you watch the entire picture. You then develop pieces while applying strategy to take your opponent’s weakest piece. You allow your opponent to put him or herself in a vulnerable position in order for you to take advantage of it while implementing your plan. If that is not the plot of a soap opera, I don’t know what is!

Anyway, I tried to get my kids interested in chess, but they were not interested for a long time until they became a part of the Louisville Urban League’s “Street Academy.”

I mentor 4th and 5th grade young kings in the Street Academy program, and they gain skills in literacy, martial arts, and chess. Due to my involvement, my kids have also participated to some degree. My children (even my daughter) loved coming to Street Academy, spending time with me and my young mentees after school, and developing a love for chess.

Chess develops several skills for all who sit down at the table to match wits. The development of these skills in children are so beneficial not only to their education but to their lives, in general. Below are a few skills that can be obtained through the playing of chess.

Critical Thinking - One of the most obvious skills obtained through Chess is critical thinking. Chess is a game about being able to see the entire board and develop strategies in anticipation of all of the possible combination of moves your opponent might attempt. Sounds daunting, right? However, children become quite good with maintaining concentration, analyzing the situation, and eliminating distractions while predicting patterns and moves from an opponent.

Problem Solving - Some people look at chess like a puzzle that needs to be solved. The problem is that the pieces constantly move and present different situations for you to solve. You can choose to play offensively, defensively or both. Studies have found that prolonged exposure to chess has increased the problem solving ability in children exponentially. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280318250_Mathematical_Problem-Solving_Abilities_and_Chess_An_Experimental_Study_on_Young_Pupils)

Patience - Chess demands careful calculation. An average chess match is at least 40 moves which must each be carefully planned out and then achieved. Being overly-aggressive can lose a key piece for you or a loss of focus can cause an opponent’s pawn to become a powerful player. There is no time limit on a chess game. It can be over in mere seconds or go for hours. Chess insists on your undivided attention.

Grace Under Pressure - It is very easy to get agitated and downright excited in any normal sporting event. However, Chess demands that you learn to remain calm while thinking of you and your opponent’s possible moves which will teach children to make well-informed and thought out decisions under pressure in real-life as they mature.

Sportsmanship - Students learn very quickly whether they are going to win or lose in a match. Kids actually learn by figuring out which moves work and which do not in different scenarios. Even though it is not a physical sport, chess teaches children early in life to become good sports in order for them to make it easier to overcome and cope with loss and failure later at any point in their lives.

My kids are fortunate. They developed a love of chess under my watchful eye. However, I am not responsible for their newfound skills. Coach Robert Vogel and Rodney Webb of the Louisville Urban League were the first true coaches of my children. They explained all of the pieces and moves and fostered their love for the game. I owe them a huge debt for their investment in my kids.

Another person who my wife and I owe our biggest thanks to in particular is Trent Findley. He started a chess club at our church and has taught my children so much in such a short period of

time. Trent is also the coach of the Newburg Middle School chess club and divides his time and efforts between the two clubs without slighting one or the other. He has helped so many young people realize that they are better than they thought and that they could be really successful by applying the strategies he taught them as well as relying on a little homegrown ingenuity. Trent uses chess to help instill principles such as cultural pride and belonging in his youth that communicates to the youth that they can be anything they put their mind to. He uses chess to get through to them and it works. My kids are learning a variety of valuable skills through the wonderful ancient game of Kings. How fitting. Young Kings and Queens learning the game of royalty from a King.

I say thank you to the individuals who have invested in my kids and so many other youth throughout the community-- Trent Findley, Robert Vogel, Rodney Webb, Coach Severs, Empress Lailah, and everyone else who advocates for children. Chess is a beautiful sport and lifestyle that must continue to be taught. It develops minds and changes lives. So, if you don’t already play chess, you may want to start!

Written By: Rekkai Steed