Playing the game a new way : the changing role of chess in schools

Educators are realising the educational benefits of chess, not just as an extracurricular activity, but as something that can be built into the curriculum. There has been a real shift in the way that chess is viewed in schools and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, the attitude towards intelligence and intellectual pursuit has changed. Secondly, there is a growing realisation that engagement in learning is really powerful; games are a great way of engaging children in the learning process. Finally, the broad-ranging cross-curricular aspect of chess makes it stand out as a particularly good game for school children. Te author offers some advice for teachers contemplating introducing chess at their schools. They can win the early engagement challenge by teaching the game in the right way, which means making it easy to learn, showing passion and having a role model for the group. This is why a professional chess tutor has to be at least a part of any implementation strategy. [Author abstract, ed