Chess will be compulsory in Georgian schools

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Andrew Martin
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Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 4:37 pm

Re: Chess will be compulsory in Georgian schools

Post by Andrew Martin » Tue May 24, 2022 7:33 am

From the FIDE announcement:

The plan aims at "developing the students' analytical, logical, and practical problem-solving skills, encouraging critical thinking", reads the announcement. "Chess improves students' multifaceted skills such as attention, concentration, memory, analysis, logic, decision making, spatial orientation and more. This, in turn, is directly related to the competencies defined by the standards of mathematics and other subjects", it concludes.

Everything the above states may be true, but after working in UK schools now for 35 years or so, I observe that the benefits of learning about and playing chess only really kick in when kids become strongish players and motivated to study . Learning the rules, playing casually through primary school and then giving up in Yr 7, which is the most common pathway in the UK, does not really help. Of course, the kids will have a lot of fun if the teacher knows what they are doing, but the lofty ideals above will not be satisfied.