Teaching Chess as Life, Part 2
August 18, 2010
Tags: Teaching Chess Articles
Part 2: A Network of Support
Written by guest author Erik Czerwin for Wholesale Chess.
. . . Once in the club, they feel like a family.
That family bond comes from the second part of that session. After naming each new teammate, I get rather preachy and explain that each teammate is now a part of a unique group. This group must always point out to their comrade when the tragic flaw presents itself. Every time Bonehead makes a bonehead move, in life or in chess, it is the responsibility of the witness to point out the bonehead mistake. Every time Lurch lurches ahead without thinking, his teammates must pull him back. They discover that, in order to improve their chess game, they must first improve themselves. Only by being self-aware can they hope to master their emotional state while in the heat of chess competition. The byproduct then, is an improved self.
Chess: A Window into our Minds
Teenagers, especially, find this to be quite enlightening. At a time when they are beginning to form their own unique identity, they discover their own flaws as well. They realize that they need to work on these flaws, not simply accept them and move on. They learn to study their losses more ardently than their wins because they seek the mental hiccup that caused the blunder. Josh Waitzkin talks about this kind of study in his perceptive chess book, The Art of Learning. At a time when their peers are searching for self-identity in many negative ways, my students find that chess can be a window into their tumultuous minds. At a time when hormones have their minds racing for answers to a million questions, chess often provides the tranquil draft of wisdom through self-awareness.
The beauty of this system, in my opinion, is that it immediately forms a network of support. There is less risk of the student turning completely inward for answers when he or she knows that others are there to reach out with a reminding hand. The students feel free to make mistakes because they know that there is time to work on them later. Certainly, this doesn’t win our team many awards, but as time progresses for each of student, the capability of analyzing oneself proves to be beneficial. The ability to recognize one’s own flaws and take corrective action develops where it might not have otherwise, and that is a mental muscle we could all exercise more frequently.
This is Part Two of Teaching Chess as Life. You should start by reading Part 1: The Personal Side of Chess.
Erik Czerwin is a self-taught chess player and also a self-taught chess coach. He founded the current Marengo Community High School Chess team, founded the Marengo Chess Club, plays at the Rockford Chess Club, and occasionally volunteers as a chess teacher at the Rockford Public Library, all in Northern Illinois. In his spare time, he’s also a full-time high school language arts teacher, part-time graduate student, part-time tutor, and full-time father of two and husband to a very understanding wife.
