Sydney Tannenbaum
February 14, 2012
Chess Club Draft #3
Checkmate, the white king is caught by the black
queen, therefore black wins! This is the thrill of the
satisfaction of winning a game of chess. Park Middle
school should have a Chess Club because Chess Club will
help students gain confidence, stimulate the prefrontal
cortex (part of the brain which controls focus and memory),
and help students improve their Mathematical and Science
skills.
First of all, a Chess Club will stimulate the
participating student’s prefrontal cortex. It will help
students strengthen their focus with the strategic thinking
used in Chess. Chess has one focus: capturing the
opponent’s king. Additionally remembering and analyzing
possible future moves to besiege the foe by using the
pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, queen and king that weren’t
taken, will stimulate the prefrontal cortex. Also, being one
step ahead of the foe will stimulate the prefrontal cortex.
This means that expressly knowing what move that the foe
will make before the opponent’s piece moves will be gainful
to the prefrontal cortex.
Secondly, a chess club will help students with science
and mathematical skills. Chess club will raise Science and
Math grades. Chess helps improve science skills. While
playing Chess, the brain needs to generate numerous
variations. New ideas need to be explored to try to predict
various outcomes and interpret surprising revelations. A
decision is made. Then make a move to test the hypothesis.
Chess helps improve mathematical skills. Chess involves an
immense number of calculations, anything from counting
the number of attackers and defenders in the event of a
simple exchange to calculating lengthy continuations. The
player uses their head to calculate, not a computer or
calculator. Also, if a student is doing poorly in science or
math, then their grade will improve from playing Chess.
Lastly, a Chess Club will help students gain
confidence. Experiencing being part of a team builds
confidence. A chess club will help with confidence issues
once that student wins. “When a student wins chess for the
first time, this first win instantaneously silences a voice that
believes that the player can’t win and is inept at chess. This
voice is only in the player’s head.” Poppy says.
Problems with Chess club could be that a Chess Club
student could be ridiculed and irked by bullies for being
ingenious, some students may denounce Chess Club to be
stressful, and there might be unrealistic expectations of
students being able to win every game. There should be a
Chess Club because it will stimulate the participating
student’s prefrontal cortex, a Chess Club will help students
with Science and Math skills and a Chess Club will help
students gain confidence