The Challenges of Chess

“Critical thinking is the most important factor with chess. As it is in life, you need to think before you make decisions.” – Hikaru Nakamura

         This year middle school students have had the opportunity to join a chess elective. This has been a fun challenge for many students and slowly we have seen their thought processes change. Chess is a game of thinking more than doing and students have been challenged by this in a very positive way. We started the elective by just learning the basics of chess and how the pieces move. Then, we moved to different strategies and the thought processes behind taking and sacrificing pieces. Next, we learned basic checkmate patterns and how to correctly win without creating a stalemate. To end the year, we will be researching Chess Grandmasters and learning about what they have contributed to the game. By the end of the elective, students will have learned the value of thinking before their actions and how there are always opportunities for checkmates, even when it might seem like they are losing.

Mr. Martin, 8th grade