A growing effort on the part of educators and chess enthusiasts to integrate chess into the scholastic experience in this country has led to a veritable explosion in the ranks of young chess players, particularly at the elementary and middle school level. And this effort is motivated by far more than an effort to provide children with a few hours of recreational diversion. Ollie LaFreniere, the Washington Chess Federation's statewide Coordinator for Scholastic Chess, said in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer interview on May 31, "Chess is the single most powerful educational tool we have at the moment, and many school administrators are realizing that." Research shows links between chess skill and improved reading and math scores, problem-solving ability, concentration, courtesy, responsibility and self-esteem - see the Chess In Education Research Summary published by the American Chess School.

World Champion Garry Kasparov has tirelessly promoted chess in schools around the world. He is firmly convinced that the future of chess depends upon encouraging children to learn the game, and providing talented young players with the best opportunities to develop their skills. Let's visit a school in California where chess playing is strongly supported.

At the R.L. Stevens Elementary School in Santa Rosa, CA., Keith Halonen, an illustrator and noted artist whose work has appeared in Chess Life Magazine and on the cover of Queen's Gambit Accepted (Chess Digest, 1995), teaches chess part-time at the Dolphin Kings, the school's chess club. In six one-hour sessions, Keith begins by teaching kids the rules of play and how the pieces move, attack, and capture. Then he teaches elementary chess tactics such as forking, pinning, castling, en passant and discovered check. Each lesson lasts 40 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of playing. Keith says his main desire is to make the game as entertaining as possible for the kids.

As they learn the rules and tactics, Keith explains the origins of the game in ancient Persia and India, how the pieces got their names, how it reached North America 50 years before Columbus. He tells them that Aladdin was a real person and the world's strongest chess player in 1385 AD, and that "en passant" evolved out of disagreements between Italian and French players in the 15th century.

Irina Krush, one of the Kasparov vs. The World event's Chess Analysts, has inspired Keith's classes for years - since she was 12. "She demonstrates to my students the possibility of making significant achievements even at an early age," says Halonen, "and that young people are not necessarily inferior to or less capable than adults. Irina proves that girls are in no way "chess-challenged" compared to boys." Having taught over 1,000 beginning players in grades 4 - 6 during the past six years, Halonen is known as "Mr. Chess." "I imbue my classes with such drama that they rarely forget me." he says.

Halonen uses many examples from the world of chess to help children see that which is often unimaginable to them - getting from here to there. "There is a path. It is not always clear, but it definitely is there." he says. "The movie "Searching for Bobby Fischer" is fresh enough in the minds of many kids to make their eyes open wide when I show them Josh Waitzkin's book, Attacking Chess. One day Halonen saw one of his former students carrying a 300-page chess book. "That was my happiest moment," he said.

Kathy Huffstutter, the Library Manager and Chess Club Coordinator at the R.L. Stevens School, started the Dolphin Kings in 1992 with school district funding which is no longer available. The club, with over 60 student members, now depends on fundraising events. Community support has been strong: adults from all walks of life including chess masters and one GM regularly volunteer to teach and play chess with student club members. One day, Huffstutter said, a kindergartner named Rodrigo walked into her office and pleaded with her to let him join the Kings. He repeated the request every year until he reached fourth grade, when he became Vice-President of the Dolphin Kings and won first place in the city-wide Santa Rosa Chess Tournament. "When a student can win games against a more experienced player using sound chess principles, his self-esteem just rockets!' says Huffstutter. "And it begins to show in other academic areas - the chess students seem to 'walk taller.' When I see that, I know that everything I am doing in the chess club has value that cannot be measured."

This story of personal growth through chess is being repeated across the country. New York City's Chess in the Schools program is the largest of its kind in the United States, with over 10,000 students enrolled in 135 inner city schools. Created in 1986 by Mobil executive Faneuil Adams, Jr. (now President of Chess in the Schools) and Bruce Pandolfini, its original mission was to bring chess to inner city schools. Scholastic performance improved so much during the first few years that the project grew into a foundation with a full-time staff. How does it work?

Chess materials - personal boards and pieces for each student, a classroom demonstration board, PC software and a beginner's library - as well as Instructors are provided by Chess in the Schools. Teachers who volunteer as Chess Coaches, students and classrooms are provided by the schools. Chess Instructors recruited yearly and trained in educational methods visit each school once a week for 15 weeks (which might be extended to 35) where they teach chess fundamentals and provide encouragement. Since kids often need to repeat lessons, Instructors' patience and commitment are key ingredients for success.

Theresa Easton, a teacher and Chess Coach at CIS 229 in the Bronx, holds her classes at 7 A.M. on weekdays and for 3 hours on Saturday mornings. "The kids love it." she says. Games between inner city and affluent schools are organized, and the half-dozen tournaments each year feature a round-robin format with 6 kids at each table. Prizes include hats, chess books and trophies for the top three contestants.

Chess in the Schools students consistenly place in the top 10 in national elementary school, junior and senior high school tournaments. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the program, a special tournament for 12 of the world's top players was held at the Downtown Athletic Club. Visiting chess masters guided students through each move of each game, and introduced them to the world of international-level chess.

At a cost of under $100 per year per student, this is one investment to write home about. And it proves that chess is for everyone. Play on!

--Art Fazakas