News Article
Chess, as a Survival Skill
School Uses Chess to Teach Self-Control, Critical
Thinking to Troubled Students
By STEPHANIE BANCHERO
ST. LOUIS—At a school for troubled kids on this city's tough North
Side, life's lessons are learned on a chessboard. In Room 103,
Marqwon, 16 years old, kicked out of his regular school for bringing
in a nail-studded piece of wood, tapped his forefinger in the air as he
mapped out his next six moves. Across the board, 15-year-old
Joann, sent here after throwing a punch at a classmate, was losing
the match and wasn't happy about it. "You're just embarrassing me,"
she said, toppling her king with a smack. "You know it's over."
Her action coaxed chess instructor Bill Thompson to the table. "Let's
not give up," he said. "Let's think of a way to get out of this."
Chess has been a part of after-school programs for at least 40 years,
but mainly in the suburbs. In the last decade, it has exploded in
popularity in urban areas as research showed that students who play
chess do better on achievement exams, especially math. But few
schools offer chess as an academic subject—and fewer still require
it, especially for students already labeled as troublemakers, like the
ones here. Innovative Concept Academy was opened last year by a
St. Louis Juvenile Court Judge Jimmie Edwards. Tired of watching
teenagers get kicked out of school, land in his courtroom and then
drop out, Mr. Edwards created his own school to nurture students
back to academic, emotional and mental health. The city's school
district pays for the building and teachers, while money from not-for-
profit groups provides the rest of the funding.
The Academy, housed in a three-story former middle school, caters
to sixth through 12th graders who have either been suspended or
expelled for fighting, bringing weapons to class, getting caught with
drugs or other illegal or disruptive behavior. The top floor of the
three-story school is occupied by teenagers who have been
criminally charged and gone through the juvenile court system.
Students attend class from 9 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. and have access to
counselors, psychologists and mentors. Aside from the academics,
the school offers courses in ballroom dance, creative writing and
golf.
The twice weekly chess classes are mandatory for most of the
school's 97 students and are an integral part of Mr. Edwards's
strategy to curb bad behavior and teach alternatives to violence. He
knows that chess won't solve all the behavior problems, but says it
offers lessons about self-control and critical thinking. "Most of my
kids are impulsive, reactionary and they lash out without thinking
through the consequences," said Mr. Edwards, who walks the
school's halls almost daily. "Chess teaches them patience and teaches
them that there are consequences to bad decisions."
"In chess, you can lose your queen," he added. "In life, you can lose
your life."
The chess program at the Academy is paid for by the Chess Club
and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, which opened in 2008 and
already has 700 members. The club wants to make St. Louis the
chess capital of the U.S. and has hosted the national chess, national
women's chess and junior chess championships.
About a million students play chess in local clubs and after-school
programs, officials of the United States Chess Federation estimate.
Chuck Lovingood, who oversees scholastic chess programs for the
non-profit group, said chess teaches students problem-solving, focus
and how to build—then execute–a plan. "Chess is not a game of
instant gratification, and that is an important life skill for all children
to learn," he said. In one 90-minute chess class earlier this week,
many life lessons were on display.
When the instructor suggested Joann find a way out of her
predicament—Marqwon had her Queen trapped in one corner of the
board—she plotted a strategy to escape, then knock off his knight.
Joann, who had never played chess until this school year, eventually
lost. But she captured seven of Marqwon's pieces and made him
chase her around the board.
Chess, said Joann, "messes with your brain and makes you think
about something before you do it. And it makes you think there's a
way out of something if you think about it hard enough."
Jesus, an 18-year-old junior, learned the hard way that impulsiveness
is a bad trait in chess. When an opponent tried to capture Jesus'
pawn with a knight, Jesus reached for his rook, hoping to take the
opponent's knight. But the boy had not yet lifted his hand to
complete his initial move and he quickly pulled back his knight.
"Bro, you're cheating," Jesus screamed out.
But the opponent pointed out that, until he lifted his hand off the
piece, the move was not complete. Jesus leaned back in his chair,
covered his face with his hands and groaned. "You're right," he said.
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