Written by Laura Sherman of YourChessCoach.com

Chess develops a sense of teamwork amongst children. After all they are a general in charge of 16 chess pieces, marshalling them all toward the enemy king’s defeat.

Each piece has benefits and weaknesses. If you only play with a favorite chess piece, you will learn how limiting that piece is. Even the queen doesn’t work well by herself. She needs other chess pieces to really launch a successful attack.

When you use pieces together, they become more powerful.

In life, teamwork is essential. As a mother of three I can attest that the family doesn’t run well when there’s no Sherman Team concept. When we are all on the same page, channeling our efforts in the same direction, we can accomplish a lot!

I’ve seen our chess students become more interested in team sports after they learn chess. Soccer, baseball, football all become more fun.

In school there are many activities that require your child to work with other children. Whether they are part of a school play or they’re creating a science project with a class, teamwork enters in.

As children grow up and enter the workforce, teamwork will become a point of survival. Those who add to the group, work well with the other members, will most likely keep their jobs and get promoted, becoming leaders in their field.

Laura Sherman founded Your Chess Coach (YourChessCoach.com) with her husband, Dan Sherman. Together they teach children to play chess through various schools in Pinellas County, Florida, as well as online. You can learn more about YourChessCoach and other local and online chess instructors on our Chess Instructors page.

If you would like to ask Laura a question about chess, you can ask the question in the comment space below, leave your email, and Laura will respond directly to you – OR – you can always find YourChessCoach on Twitter or visit her new blog.