Recently a certain Board of Education voted to ban the game of Chess in all its elementary, middle and high schools claiming that “There is no place in our society for a monstrous game like Chess. Chess is dangerous. Chess is destructive. Chess teaches racial and sexual oppression. Chess has to go!”

Chess is claimed to have a negative influence on students due to backward and outdated thinking that was responsible for creating the game. They claim that chess encourages racism by having a “war” between a white army and a black army and reinforces current racist tendencies by having the white army always move first. Chess is irrelevant to our society because it was created by dead white men and it glorifies war. The Board of Education in question also points out that chess destroys self-esteem. When children play, one always loses and makes the child feel foolish and inadequate.

So should chess really be seen as a dangerous game and banned in schools, discouraged in our societies, and perpetrators flogged for committing heinous acts of anti-social behavior? Well, of course, there are always at least two sides to any argument and supporters of the game of chess may even suggest that not only should playing chess be allowed in school, but it should also be part of the school curriculum.

There is evidence to suggest that playing chess can have a positive impact on learning. Chess is likely to improve certain skills and characteristics of a person and is claimed to help improve children’s thinking and problem-solving skills. The American Foundation for Chess Studies believes you can improve:
• visual memory,
• capacity of attention,
• spatial reasoning skills,
• ability to predict and anticipate consequences,
• ability to use criteria to drive decision making and evaluate alternatives.

According to the ‘Chess at the Olympic Games Campaign’, 605 million people around the world know how to play chess, 285 million play through the Internet and 7.5 million are registered players. These staggering figures make chess more popular than virtually any other Olympic sport!

I believe that Chess can be seen as a healthy pastime for people of all ages and that its benefits go beyond the game itself. Chess players are usually good planners, people who accept responsibility for their actions, patient, respectful and balanced in decision making.

Chess is a unique and inspiring game that can bring religions and countries together and help break down social and economic barriers. Players do not need expensive uniforms or equipment and chess can be played competitively or non-competitively between people of different abilities and backgrounds. Anyone can learn and play the game, which can be serious or fun, functional or imaginative. Chess is a true game that players must face alone, where weaknesses are sought and eliminated.

As an old Indian proverb says: “Chess is a sea in which a mosquito can drink and an elephant can bathe.” It’s not so bad right?

andy pitcher