Gone are the days when only nerds played chess. The game requires cunning and mastery and appeals to a wide range of players, writes Sean O’Connor
Chess is a ruthless game, yet injuries are rare. “The worst thing that could happen is you fall off your chair,” says Kevin Horne, a veteran of the chess scene in South Africa and president of the SA Arbiters Association (the match referees).
Besides the safety factor, chess is played indoors, 12 months a year, and does not rely on expensive equipment. This makes it an attractive option for schools.
Although chess is addictive, it’s not just recreational. Children who play this ancient game routinely improve their academic performance. Described as “aerobics of the mind”, chess develops problem-solving skills, visualisation, memory, logic, patience and concentration. Bridget Brodie, chairperson of the SA Junior Chess Association, describes how young players are able to concentrate for up to six hours during a match. “They don’t talk to anyone while they play. They’ll sit there, hanging on to the bitter end,” she says, grinning.
“It’s all about mistakes,” explains Horne. “If you’ve made one, you pay straight away. It’s an unforgiving game. The way that winners describe their victories – ‘I crushed her’ or ‘I killed him’ – says a lot about chess. It’s war.’ This might explain why the overwhelming majority of players are male (only 5% of local players are female).
Horne, however, suggests that this “might have something to do with the perception that it’s mathematical, which doesn’t appeal to girls,” yet this fails to convince. Do girls really hate maths more than boys? It does seem strange that with no physical barriers to the sport, female players should be so scarce. Besides, feminine charm can be a potent weapon in any war.
Fortunately, the same thing doesn’t apply to ethnicity. South African chess teams are very mixed. This doesn’t apply only to racial background or previously disadvantaged groups, but to personality type and age as well. “Gone are the days when only little nerds played chess,” says Brodie. “And the fact that age doesn’t matter, that the playing fields are level, means that children have ample opportunity to thrash their elders.” This lends itself to some engaging contests, although chess is hardly a spectator sport.
“Seniors hate losing to juniors,” quips Horne, no doubt reliving some recent embarrassment.
At the SA Open held in Cape Town recently, the youngest player was six, the eldest was 67. Up to half of most senior chess teams are in fact made up of juniors.
At junior level, age categories apply. At the upcoming National Junior Championships in Durban, from December 7 to 20, 1 100 juniors will be competing at under-10, under-12, under-14, under-16 and under-20 levels. All provinces must submit a development plan to Chessa, the national body, before they are allowed to compete in the tournament, ensuring that chess continues growing.
As is the case with sports in South Africa, sponsorship is desperately needed. Although the number of new players is growing well, according to Brodie, cash is needed for things to really take off. At present, the chess body in each province will fund-raise to assist poorer players to attend championships, although players must do a lot of the fundraising themselves. MTN helps to cover registration fees.
South Africa is a relatively weak chess playing nation, with no grandmasters (world-ranked players). Competition for our top players is limited. As a developmental sport, though, chess has loads of potential, especially when it comes to the academic spinoffs.
If you’re a teacher and are reading this, why not bring chess into the classroom? Besides being used as a reward activity, you can cover a whole range of outcomes at once. For starters, chess sets can be built in design and technology. You don’t need fancy tools. Improvise.
Link up with social sciences (history and geography) to study the origins of chess and any other local variations. Maths is the obvious place to extend study of the game. How many squares of the board can be covered by each piece, for example? Can a knight cover every square? Then, going over to language and literature, write a story about a war between two groups. And these are just for starters.
With persistence, you’ll get a regular chess club going and play against other schools. What are you waiting for? It’s your move!
For assistance and advice, contact Bridget Brodie on (021) 683-0047
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, September 2001.