Checkmate for kids

The firm handshakes. The sharp click of clocks starting. Then, the soft clinking of black and white plastic pieces. The scent of new boards with checkers of black and white lined up in several rows across the room. Words fail to capture this experience: The adrenaline pumping through my veins, the leap my heart takes with every move, and the challenging yet fulfilling thrill of the entire experience.

Any chess player can relate.

In 2020, however, the pandemic put a stop to tournaments. I decided to take matters into my own hands, to the best of my ability at age 11, to share my love for chess with the world. Specifically, I taught children in underserved communities, initially online. Every year since, I’ve adjusted and tweaked my teaching methods, making sure to keep every student engaged and interested.

The goal of my chess program, CheckmateFORKids, is not to curate the next set of grandmasters. Instead, little moments show me I’m instilling in my students a lifelong love for the game. For instance, a student once begged her mother to let her stay longer so she could keep playing. Another parent told me that her kids practiced chess more after leaving our program. These moments, rather than tactical victories, resonate with me most.

In addition to teaching chess, I’ve set a goal to bring more girls into the chess world, as only 13 percent of chess players are female. As a woman in chess, I know that women are just as capable as men at playing the game, and if more girls are exposed to the game, I can, to whatever extent, try to counter this trend of male-dominated tournament rooms.

In November, I hosted my first official chess tournament for my students. In addition to inspiring more girls, I was also able to share the thrill of competitive chess in a friendly format, one where the players could feel the pressure, but more importantly, still have fun.

I still play chess competitively. Although I enjoy checkmates, I learned a new victory: seeing children ponder their moves, laugh as they capture pieces, and have fun. For at these moments, I know that they’ve won, and so have I. (See CheckmateFORKids.org for more.) 

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