Start Your Own School Chess Club
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Many schools have after-school chess clubs, and there are scholastic chess tournaments throughout the school year that provide opportunities to compete.
According to Larry Bell of the University of Kentucky, tournaments are sponsored by the Kentucky Chess Association and are open for school teams and individuals.

Tournaments result in the crowning of a state champion at both the school and individual levels in K-3, K-5, K-8 and K-12 grade divisions.

Parents can get kids involved in chess and scholastic chess in these ways:

1) Teach kids the rules of the game (there are a zillion books). It really is an easy game to learn to play... although very difficult to master.

2) Buy a computer chess program that has tutorials taking students from beginner to advanced levels.

3) Inquire about a chess club at the school your children attend. If none exists, start your own.

4) Check out the KCA website (www.kcachess.org) for regional tournament dates and locations.



When’s the last time you and your kids played a game of chess? Never? Don’t know how to play? Maybe it’s time you learned.

Other board games you play with your children may depend on chance, but chess requires skill and strategy. Experts recommend parents learn to play right alongside their children. Imagine how thrilled they’ll be when they beat you.

Look at what research has shown about the value of learning to play chess.

Chess can:
> Dramatically improve a child’s ability to think rationally.
> Increase cognitive skills.
> Improve children's communication skills and aptitude in recognizing patterns, especially
> Result in higher grades, in in English and math.
> Teach the value of hard work, concentration and commitment.
> Instill in young players a sense of self-confidence and self-worth.
More than 30 countries routinely use chess in the classroom as a way to increase math, reading and other cognitive skills. Significantly, the U.S. is not among the list of countries. Among the 30 are Canada, China, Spain, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Russia, France, Germany and India.


SOFTWARE TO TEACH KIDS TO PLAY CHESS

Learn to Play Chess with Fritz and Chesster: This software breaks the chess moves down into easy-to-understand arcade style games. It’s great for kids who have never played the game. (Viva Media, $29.99, PC/Mac)

Dinosaur Chess: A game for younger kids because it features more than 20 games that take kids from a hatchling to a full grown dinosaur as they master each level. (Chess Central, $36.95, PC/Mac, Ages 4-7)

Learn Chess for Nintendo DS: Learn the rules, tactics and strategies of chess on your handheld video game. All games are accessible from the start, so this game is good for beginners and more experienced players. (To be released Oct. 13, 2009, Dreamcatcher, $19.99)