Chess in BC public schools.

Well, I'm back. I've got something to write about. It seems that the efforts of Arnie Nermo, a teacher from the Okanagan who now teaches in Abbotsford, have borne fruit. Nermo, along with fellow teacher Luke Campbell, has finally had his chess course approved by both the School Board and the Ministry of Education of British Columbia. Says Nermo:

What is the significance? Now that Chess is listed as a legitimate BAA course in BC (course number YLRA-12F) any teacher can apply to teach it in their school district. It will still take some effort on their part but the precedent is set and so it will be a much easier road. Although the course is the first of its kind in Canada that I know of, it is my hope that teachers in other districts and provinces country-wide may use Luke Campbell’s and my experiences to use the course as a template for the introduction and teaching of Chess into their high-school curriculum too.

For those interested in the substantiation, from the educators' point of view, of chess as a high school course, the following is also of interest:

As to the question of whether Chess has a viable place in high-school curriculum, extensive research has shown it to be an activity where even the weakest academic students can match their wits with the strongest and beam with success. It is a proven and valuable self-esteem builder! In addition, Chess demands that participants exercise their best powers of planning, memory, decision-making, judgment, creativity, and concentration. Interestingly, chess is known to assist cognitive development for students in four areas– logic, memory, awareness/analysis, and pattern recognition (Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal WGCTA). The educational benefits of chess are already recognized by its inclusion in the required curricula of over 30 countries including Canada (Quebec and New Brunswick).It is evident that chess is more than just a game.

Here are a few links for further investigation ...

Nermo address fellow teachers through the BCTF website.

British Columbia Chess in Schools: World Chess Federation (FIDE) report

Chess Federation of Canada Discussion Board - Chess Approved as a High School Credit

Chess Kids Australia takes notice of Canadian breakthrough.

The Australian website is useful because it provides links to: (a) A Short History on How to Start a High School Chess Course (.pdf file), and (b) Chess 12 BAA [Board Approved and Authorized] Course Outline (M/S Word .doc file)

Susan Polgar thinks this is important as well ...

Chess in Moldovian Schools

Chess in Schools in the Philippines

"Chess is a game that improves individual organizational and analytical skills. Children when exposed to this game at an early age achieve academically better, or even faster than those who have not been engaged in the game. Likewise, chess is among the activities that help build memory skills, concentration, self-confidence, self-esteem and in making disciplined decisions. Playing chess provides opportunities to practice such values as perseverance, honesty, and sportsmanship," Secretary Lapus stated in the Memorandum.

The Department of Education (DepEd) shall adopt chess as another strategy to promote the development of higher order thinking skills and values among Grades 3 to 6 in the Physical Education department. Chess will continue at the secondary level....

In the Philippine public school system, there are around 35,000 Grade Schools and some 6,000 High Schools. There are over 2,000 private High Schools. Brother Dizon said they aim to train 35,000 chess teachers by November 2009.

This is good news for chess in British Columbia, in Canada, and in the wider world.

Jonathan Berry lecture at the Grand Pacific Open

While I wasn't able to participate in the tourney, I managed to attend a chess lecture by Jonathan Berry on "A Few Endgames". The crowd was small enough to make it open and intimate.

Before I forget, I should add that Berry made mention of a very handy website for chess endgames. It's called an Endgame Tablebase and can be used for ANY endgame with six pieces or less. Basically, you place the six pieces or less on the board (including the two kings) , note which side is to play, and the website will churn out an endgame solution. There is a similar Nalimov Tablebase over here.

Jonathan Berry's endgames follow. I will add them as I am able.

I first heard about the Chess Viewer Deluxe on Susan Polgar's Chess Discussion Board. The Board was moderated by Nikolai Pilafov. Nikolai has obviously been doing some more work on his Viewer and you are seeing the results of those efforts. Now if I can just figure out how to display a game fragment or problem ... Here are Nikolai's instructions on how to publish a chess game on your blog if you are interested in trying the same thing on your own.

Firstly, an endgame problem that shows some basics from a simple king and pawn ending.

After that is a very long game (153 moves) in which rook, bishop and pawn prevail over rook and bishop. On 55... Rb2 check, it really looks as if White should settle for the draw by trading the rooks and so on. However, Kovalevskaya played on and managed, instead, to trade off the opposite-colored bishops for the win.

What's up with me?

Hello again, friends. I haven't posted anything in a number of months. It had been my plan to teach a chess course at the local community centre in Duncan but, alas, not enough interest was shown and the course was cancelled.

My bad luck, however, was in contrast to the good work of Arnie Nermo from Abbotsford, B.C., who has helped towards creating a Canadian first ... the first Board of Education Approved Chess Course in a public school in Canada! Well done, guys! Arnie also provided a short history on How to Start a High School Chess Course.

I was down in Victoria this past weekend to check out the 2009 Victoria Chess Festival, aka the Grand Pacific Open, and to finally meet Jonathan Berry who was giving a chess lecture during the weekend. I was only able to attend the lecture. If I am able I will share my notes from Berry's lecture. He spoke on "A Few Endgames" and I also took the opportunity to purchase the first volume of "Chess on the Edge" from the Chess and Math booktable. Now I have another chess book that I haven't read. Heh.

P.S. to Chess and Math. Next time, guys, how about being organized enough to provide your customers with a receipt? I very nearly walked away from the amateurism of it all.