Chess in Lancashire Primary Schools
Introduction
Lancashire Chess Association is committed to supporting the development of junior chess within the county. Quite simply we recognise that the junior chess players of today are the adult chess players of the future and without them, the game of chess will decline.
We are very keen to hear from any primary school in the county that currently runs, or is considering starting up, a chess club. We can offer support in a number of ways, as described below. We also hope that schools will advise us of any promising young chess players (girls or boys) that they know, so that they can be considered for Lancashire's Under 9 and Under 11 teams.
Benefits of Playing Chess
If your school already runs a chess club then you will be aware of the benefits to the children involved. There are so many reasons to play chess, but here are just a few:
- Chess is fun.
- Chess helps improve concentration.
- Chess develops logical reasoning.
- Chess encourages planning ahead and foreseeing consequences.
- Chess helps develop self-confidence.
- Chess enhances reading, memory, language, and mathematical abilities; it fosters critical, creative, and original thinking.
- Chess reaches boys and girls regardless of their natural abilities or socio-economic backgrounds.
What Do We Do Already?
Lancashire Chess Association already provides support to juniors within the county that are interested in playing chess.
Some of our adult players and coaches already visit a number of Lancashire schools on a regular and voluntary basis, supporting the teachers that run the school chess club by offering constructive advice and providing coaching to the children.
Some of our adult clubs have junior sections, while there are a number of juniors-only chess clubs within the county.
The Lancashire Chess Association organises a number of junior congresses through the year, open to junior players of all standards. Each entrant plays against others of roughly the same standard. These are intended to be fun events and are well attended by children from all over the county and beyond.
We organise representative teams at Under 9 and Under 11 levels that play in annual, nationwide competitions organised by the English Primary Schools Chess Association. We are not looking for budding grandmasters for these teams, just children with a reasonable grasp of the basics and who are prepared to listen and learn. Regular coaching by some of the top coaches in the North West for the Under 9 and Under 11 squads is organised throughout the year.
How Can We Help?
There are a number of ways that the Lancashire Chess Association can help local primary schools, some of which are listed below:
- There are many experienced players and coaches within Lancashire who could provide you with information on how to set-up and run a junior chess club within your school.
- If you need any chess equipment then we can put you in touch with local suppliers who are prepared to give very attractive price reductions to junior and school chess clubs. In certain cases we may be able to organise some equipment for you to loan during a start-up period. The Northern Counties Chess Union also have a limited number of free chess sets available to schools and clubs under a developing junior chess initiative. The relevant NCCU rep for this is Dave Gaston who schools must contact direct for details. Dave's e-mail address is given below.
- Our junior coaches and other players will be able to provide you with information on chess basics - there are many free learning resources on the World Wide Web and we know where some of the best reside!
- We can investigate whether there are any local players or coaches who might be able to assist with coaching in your school's chess club.
- If there are enough schools interested, we might be able to help organise some local inter-schools competitions.
- We can keep you informed in advance of any junior chess activity within the county (e.g. congresses).
- We can help develop any of your club members that are accepted into the Under 9 and Under 11 squads.
Please Get In Touch!
If there is any chess activity in your school we would be really interested to hear about it. If there is currently no chess activity in your school but the school is considering starting a chess club, please let us know if we can help. In fact, if we can assist in any way at all to help develop chess at your school, then please get in touch with us - we would be really delighted to hear from you!
The easiest way to contact us is by sending a message to Dave Gaston (whose e-mail address is given below) and/or Steve Fanning (who can be contacted through the feedback form).
