Children's Chess Extravaganza 2007

This weekend, we volunteered at an annual chess tournament held in the city for children throughout the country. Competitors came from as far away as Dangriga and Orange Walk to play against other children in their age categories and put their chess skills to the test.



Anthony served as the director of the 8 and under category (basically, he watched games for illegal moves and checked to confirm a checkmate and then recorded all the scores)

Anthony has been learning chess and teaching Ginnie. It was amazing to watch some of the matches as the children were very focused and working hard on their strategies. Some of the players study past games to build their knowledge of best moves - we really have a lot to learn.

Contemplating a next move


Throughout the country, there is a movement to bring chess into children's lives since it develops strong critical thinking skills, and builds patience and discipline. It is a game that requires one to plan far ahead and face the immediate consequences of a poorly- or hastily- made decision. There are numerous benefits to learning chess and many volunteers are involved in chess clubs or working to incorporate chess into activities with children.

During each round, the auditorium was silent for the players to concentrate