Spotlight on Caiden Moxey

Caiden's awards and well wishes

A few months ago we started highlighting student chess players who are connected with Nimble Minds Chess.  In the interview below, we are highlighting Caiden Moxey.  Caiden recently finished primary school and was nominated for an award for his outstanding performance.
 
Interviewer: Caiden, I understand that you were nominated and received an award recently.  Which organisation granted the award and what was the award for?  What else can you share about the award?

​Caiden: Yes, I was awarded with a $3,000 scholarship from the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year Foundation as a prize for my primary school academic achievements and civic involvement. I also received a laptop, trophies and other gifts.  I was ranked 10th out of 100 of the Bahamas’ best and brightest primary school students nationwide. I was also awarded many other awards at my graduation which were: Class Valedictorian; Principal's Award; Dean's List; Most Outstanding Student Award; RA Academic Excellence Award; Academic Science Award; Academic Arts Award; Perfect Punctuality and Attendance Awards; Top Achievement in Grammar; Health; Literature; Science; Social Studies; Spelling; Mathematics; Reading; Religion and Written Composition.


Interviewer: Congratulations on your awards.  Were you active in school?  Which activities or clubs did you participate in?  Do you believe that any of them helped you succeed as a student?    Which ones and how?
 
Caiden: Thank you. I was very active throughout my entire primary school.  There were lots of activities and clubs at my school, so everyday I participated in a club like Math Club, Science Club, Soccer Club, Choir, Spanish Club, and Spelling Club. In the latter part of my primary school years I became a hall monitor then a school prefect and finally in my last year I was selected as the school’s head boy.  I believe these clubs were extremely useful for me to succeed as they brought even more depth to the subjects that were taught in class and they helped to make me more confident.
 

Interviewer: What were some of your favourite subjects in primary school and why?
 
Caiden: My favorite subjects were science and math, because math and science are everywhere, and you come across these subjects in your day to day life. They cause me to think; sparking my curiosity and making me wonder about how different things work.
 

Interviewer: Now that you are finished, what are some of the things that you will miss about primary school and why?
 
Caiden: I will mostly miss the different activities and the fun clubs we had at our school; and all of the special days like My Bahamas Day, Commonwealth Day and Crazy Socks Day.  Those were like a fun day when we didn't have classes, instead we had a school assembly which ended in a festival of foods from the various islands and countries.
 

Interviewer: The new school year is about to begin in about two weeks.  What are some of the things that you are looking forward to in Junior School?
 
Caiden: I am looking forward to meeting new people, joining different clubs and finding out about different activities that I can get involved in. I am also looking forward to learning new subjects that my new school may offer.
 

Interviewer: You play chess.  Who introduced you to chess and what was your initial impression of the game?
 
Caiden: My older brother introduced me to chess when I was around 6 years old. At that age, I found chess interesting, however, I couldn’t play and I didn't know the rules.  But watching my brother play on the computer caught my attention and caused me to be curious.  He taught me the basics about the game, then I started to get more and more interested, until I decided to start teaching myself by watching YouTube videos.
 

Interviewer: What are some of the things you like about chess and why?
 
Caiden: I like how chess is a complex strategic game. The way the board changes so quickly interests and excites me. I find strategic games more fun and challenging, because it relies on your thinking ability and skills rather than chance.
 

Interviewer: Some people might say that you are too young to be playing chess and instead you should be doing something else.  What is your reply to that?
 
Caiden: I believe chess is made for people of all ages. A game like chess is never too big of a game for anyone. Even though chess is a complex game, the game of chess really relies mostly on strategic thinking. As long as someone can strategically think, that person can play chess no matter the age.
 

Interviewer: In some countries introduction to chess is offered as a class.  Do you believe that chess as a subject would benefit primary school age children?  If yes then how?
 
Caiden: I believe that chess as a subject that would benefit primary school aged children because chess is able to develop strong minds. The game requires focus and strategic thinking, which would benefit them in their classes and in their lives in general. The earlier young minds could be developed the better it is for the student.  It could be offered as an club or it could be offered as part of a student program  to help develop their thinking and reasoning skills
 

Interviewer:  Was chess a popular activity at your school?  In your opinion, is there any way that chess can be made more attractive to children your age?
 
Caiden: Chess was not an activity at my school.  I think chess can be made more attractive by being more widely taught; along with more chess plays and tournaments being showcased more often. I think not as many people play chess, because they do not actually know the game. I also remember my mother saying that when she wanted to buy a chess game for me, there was not much of a selection in the stores.  So having the games more widely available in stores would help too.
 

Interviewer: Are you aware of any of the former World Chess Champions?  Which one of them do you find most interesting and why?
 
Caiden: I am aware of some former World Chess Champions, but the one that most interests me is Anatoly Karpov, because he dominated his opponents, and stopped his opponents plans as soon as it started. He had great endurance and started playing chess at a young age. 
 

Interviewer: How would you classify chess?  Would you classify it as a sport, art or science?  Why?
 
Caiden: I would classify chess as being a sport, art, and science. A sport because it  is a competitive game based on overcoming your opponent. But mainly, for me, I view it as a science because of how fast the chess board can change.  You will also need to study the board and moves to predict, draw conclusions and test your hypothesis to see if your strategies will work.  An art because each person plays the game differently based on their creativity.


Interviewer: Lastly, Caiden, what are your plans for chess during the upcoming school year?
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Caiden: For the upcoming school year, I am mainly planning to focus on my school work considering that I am entering a new school and grade.  However, I still plan on playing chess whenever I get the opportunity because I really would like to improve my skills and become a better player.

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Caiden playing chess