Teaching children how to play chess offers significant benefits, particularly in enhancing their critical thinking skills. Chess is a game that requires players to analyze situations, consider various outcomes, and make strategic decisions. When children engage in playing chess, they learn to anticipate their opponent’s moves, evaluate different possibilities, and weigh the consequences of each decision. This process developes critical thinking skills.

As children practice chess, they develop the ability to think several steps ahead. This forward-thinking approach is crucial in real-life situations, where they must assess potential outcomes before making decisions. 

Moreover, chess teaches patience and discipline. Children learn that thoughtful, deliberate actions often yield better results than rushed decisions. These skills can be transferable to academic settings and everyday life, where critical thinking is essential for making informed choices.

In summary, playing chess helps children enhance their critical thinking abilities by encouraging strategic analysis, foresight, and disciplined decision-making, all of which are invaluable skills both on and off the chessboard.

(Initial research conducted by ChatGPT)

​Many parents with school age children are aware of the dreaded 'summer slide'.

​‘Summer slide’ refers to children’s loss of academic skills/knowledge between finishing their end of term in June/July and returning to school in August/September.
 
It is believed that during their summer vacation, children can lose a significant amount of what they have learnt the previous school year.  This results in both teachers and students spending additional time revising/catching up at the beginning of the next school year. 
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There are many steps that parents can take to mitigate summer slide.  For example, engaging students in activities to learn new skills, and improve their concentration and focus.  Such an activity is Chess.  Chess is an ideal activity for children to develop and/or maintain learning skills like mental calculation, concentration, critical and analytical thinking,  Furthermore, learning chess allows students to learn and build a new vocabulary.

If you have any questions about summer chess classes then let us know. 

​Nimble Minds Chess extends many congratulations to Matteo Davies who among other things is a chess student of Nimble Minds.

Yesterday 30 April, 2023, GM Ding Liren won the World Chess Championship during the tie -break against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi.

The tiebreak consisted of four rapid games, with a time control of 25 minutes each, plus a 10-second increment per move.  Blitz games were to follow, if the winner was undecided after the rapid.  

GM Ding Liren was quoted by FIDE website as stating the following after his match:

"I started to learn chess from four years old… I spent 26 years playing, analyzing, trying to improve my chess ability with many different ways, with different changing methods. with many new ways of training." He continues: "I think I did everything. Sometimes I thought I was addicted to chess, because sometimes without tournaments, I was not so happy. Sometimes I struggled to find other hobbies to make me happy. This match reflects the deepness of my soul," said the new World Champion.

A full summary by FIDE of the games played can be found here - tiebreak games

 

A male chess player registered to play in the Women's section of the Kenya Open Chess Championship as Millicent Awuor.  The ​Kenya Open is being held at Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi from 6 - 10 April, 2023 with a top prize of Sh500,000 for the Women's section.

Organisers became suspicious of the player registered as Millicent Awuor following his results against Gloria Jumba, the former Kenya National Chess Champion, and Ampaira Shakira, Uganda's top player.  It was reported by Daily Nation online that to keep his identity hidden, the player, whose real name is Stanley Omondi covered his head and face completely.  Additionally, he wore sunglasses on the small opening that revealed his eyes. 
 
He was expelled from the tournament by organisers pending disciplinary action. 

See link to Daily Nation for additional information.

By Kean Smith ([email protected])

The position below arises after 5. ... Bh5?
The position was reached after the following moves:

White             Black
1. e4                e5
2. Nf3             Nc6
3. Bc4             d6
4. Nc3            Bg4
5. h3               Bh5?

Analyse the following position.  Are you able to find the move which leads to white gaining at least a clear advantage and possibly checkmate depending on black's 6th move.

By Kean Smith ([email protected])

​During Round 3 of The Bahamas National Chess Championship 2023, FM Carver Moncur and Avian Pride played a French Defence that exploded into a sharp and complicated middle game.  The players simplified into the following end game.  Moncur resigned after playing 73. Ke5 ...

Why did he resign? (include your view in the comment section below)