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Friday, July 07, 2006
Pestaño: Chess in schools program
By Frank ‘Boy’ Pestaño
Chessmoso
Prospero Pichay, president of the National Chess Federation of the Philippines, reportedly told participants of the Ozamis National Open last weekend that President Arroyo approved the program to include chess as part of the curriculum in schools.
If this program will be realized, Pichay and Arroyo will leave a legacy that will have no equal in the annals of education.
It should be taught as a regular subject like math or science and not as part of the physical education as DepEd VII, Dr. Carolino Mordeno says. For the enlightenment of our top education officials, Chess in Schools program is being realized in over 40 countries worldwide and was implemented in the United States in 1992.
I wrote about this subject two years ago under the heading “Chess and the child” and I would like to repeat the effects of chess on schoolchildren in the four-year New York City Schools chess program study from 1987-91 by Kristine Palm.
Chess instills in young players a sense of self-confidence and self-worth. It improves a child’s ability to think rationally. It builds a sense of team spirit while emphasizing the ability of the individual. It teaches the value of hard work, concentration and commitment. It makes a child realize he or she is responsible for his or her own actions and must accept the consequences.
In addition, chess teaches children to try their best to win while accepting defeat with grace. It allows girls to compare with boys on a non threatening and acceptable plane. It allows students and teachers to view each other in a more sympathetic way through competition. It gives kids a palpable sign of their accomplishment. Finally, chess provides children with a concrete, inexpensive and compelling way to rise above the deprivation and self-doubt which are so much a part of their lives.
Dr. Peter Dauvergne of the University of Sydney said in 1990 that chess as a learning tool can: raise intelligent-quotient (IQ) scores, enhance reading, memory, language and mathematical abilities, foster critical, creative and original thinking; provides practice at making decisions under time pressure, a skill that can help improve exam scores; challenge gifted children while potentially helping underachievers; teach how to think logically and efficiently, learning to select the best choice from a large number of options; demonstrate the importance of flexible planning ,concentration and the consequences of decisions.
Chess in schools program is not all about developing future stars of the game but is about life itself. Producing grandmasters is just the gravy. The main objective is to produce law-abiding productive citizens that can compete with the rest of the world.
MASTERS EVERY TUESDAY. Members of the Cebu Executives and professionals chess association meet at Handuraw Learning and Leisure Café in Mabolo to play and practice chess and as a “bonding” among its members. It seems that there are two kinds of chess players, those who drink and those who don’t.
Last Tuesday we had visitors who just played in the recently concluded Ozamiz National Open. Joining us for few games and several rounds of beer were International Masters Manny Senador and Barlo Nadera (soft drinks only) and National Master Mirabeau Maga
The players were pointing to several cities who had recently sponsored chess tournaments and they were asking why Cebu has not sponsored a major tournament. Cepca members promised to correct this and maybe we can produce one later.
National Master Bombi Aznar will put up a Chess Academy in Pardo together with Barangay Captain Danilo Lim, who is also an architect.
(frankpestano@yahoo.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 7, 2006 issue)
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