Playing chess could make your child smarter

Former world chess champion Gary Kasparov wants to bring the game to a million children in Africa as an educational tool to sharpen their learning skills and build confidence.

“We have plenty of data collected from around the world that proves beyond any doubt that classes with chess, especially at an early age - six to nine - dramatically improves the skills of the kids, to learn how to process information and make decisions,” said Kasparov.

“Chess is a tool, not a recipe for all education problems, but it’s a very inexpensive and a very effective tool,” the 53-year-old champion of the game said.

He also said it was important to fight the prejudice “that only certain countries can produce champions.”

Kasparov’s foundation will identify some pilot schools in African countries, provide them with learning kits and train some teachers in chess with the goal of reaching one million children over the next few years.

The foundation has already introduced chess in school programmes around the world and he said he has found in developing countries that there is more passion for success. “They are willing to work harder.” Kasparov, who became the youngest world chess champion in 1985 at age 22, retired from the game in 2005.

This comes as Disney cast a spotlight on ten-year-old Ugandan chess queen, Phiona Mutesi, in the movie Queen of Katwe. The movie showed the real possibilities that the game of chess could provide to young African children.

Kenya boasts of great chess talent too. In April 2017 the country won the inaugural Africa Zone 4.2 under 16 youth Team Chess Championship.