Chess Rocks! raised over $48,000 net toward scholarships for the First Move Chess program and proved to be a phenominal success and platform for education. We would like to thank our sponsors: Talon, RBC, Silicone Valley Bank, Tom Mendell Family, and Perkins Coie as well as our partners DeLille Cellars, Tri-Film Productios, and Thierry Routureau Cheff in the Hat - Rovers.

The succes of the event has shown that as an organization we can continue to grow and reach new funders and educate more men and women about the powerful benefits that First Move brings to each and every classroom. 

View a Slideshow of the Event!

End of Year Tournament Winners

Congratulations to the following End of Year Tournament winners.

Student(s) with the most wins

Classrooms with the most wins

Classes with the most participation

Schools with the most wins

Poetry Contest Winners


Thank you to all who participated in this year's Poetry Contest. We had a lot of wonderful entries to read through! Here are the top three:

Miss Jepson’s 3rd grade class, Way Elementary, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2nd-Marianna Marino, Ms. Lazy 2nd grade class at Notre Dame Academy, Staton Island, NY

3rd- Matthew Lewis 3rd, Ms. Martin’s 3rd grade class, Assumption School, St. Louis, MO

SCOTCH PLAINS, N.J. — Quiet, please. The second- and third-graders at McGinn Elementary School are playing chess, which means they're concentrating, which means they shouldn't be interrupted.

Even so, Wendi Fischer can't resist giving a compliment. "You're really using your brain to think instead of your mouths," she tells students as she walks from class to class.

It's hard to believe these are the same kids who, just an hour earlier, could barely contain their glee when Fischer made a surprise visit to an assembly in the library. There were pictures, autographs, hugs.

Fischer, executive director of America's Foundation for Chess, has become a celebrity among the elementary school set.

Kids know her as the Chess Lady, the tiara-wearing medieval queen who hosts the chess lessons they watch each week on DVD. Although chess has long been a staple of after-school programs, the foundation aspires to bring chess into more classrooms through First Move.

It's not the first initiative to teach chess to elementary students. Since 1986, Chess-in-the-Schools has taught the game to low-income students in New York City Public Schools. No one keeps track of how many teachers use the board game as a teaching tool, though plenty of books are available to help them.

The foundation, based in Bellevue, Wash., aims to expand First Move nationally and beyond. Launched in the 2004-05 academic year in 11 Seattle-area schools, the program last year reached more than 50,000 students in nearly 2,000 classrooms across 27 states, mostly by word of mouth. In 2008, Idaho became the first state to encourage public schools statewide to use the game as part of their curricula in second and third grades, and Maryland's Senate education committee this month considered a similar proposal for its public schools. First Move can be found in Antigua, Kenya, Canada and Mexico, and Fischer's group has been in talks with the education ministries of Norway and Denmark.

Fischer (no relation to Bobby, the American who in 1972 famously beat the USSR's Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship) says the weekly lessons, mapped to standards typical for second- and third-graders, serve multiple goals. They encourage students to strategize and solve problems, involve math skills that will come in handy when they study algebra, and introduce content related to medieval times. (Did you know that the queen, the most powerful piece on the chess board, gained strength in the game over time, as her role in real life grew more prominent?)

While First Move doesn't claim to improve students' test scores, some researchers have found chess can improve academic performance. A 1993 study, for example, found that a group of students in the New York program scored significantly higher on reading tests than a control group.

Chess also addresses social skills, which the Scotch Plains students seem to have picked up on very quickly.

Players always shake hands before the game "as a courtesy" and afterward as a way to say "good game," says second-grader Zoe Wernsing, 8. It is "unsportsmanlike" to offer unwanted advice or commentary during a match, says second-grader Kieren Adams, 7. And though beating an opponent (especially a parent) is a worthy goal, "you learn more from a game you lose than a game you win," says third-grader Athena Postlewait, 9.

Some educators say chess can be a confidence booster. "For some children this is a way to express their intelligence," says author and University of Texas at Dallas senior lecturer Alexey Root, who since 2007 has taught online courses for aspiring and practicing teachers nationwide who want to use chess as a learning tool. "You see lines of force and manipulate things in your mind's eye."

Fischer, who hopes to add about 1,200 more classrooms this year, says the biggest obstacle isn't lack of interest but lack of funding. Chess may have gotten a boost from former president Bill Clinton, who, in his 2007 book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, called the New York Chess-in-the-Schools program "a classic example of a very good idea with no chance of becoming a reality without private support."

In Scotch Plains, that caught the attention of the owners of the Stage House Tavern, who liked the idea of supporting something that would involve schools, co-owner Tom Britt says. They approached the district anonymously, offering to fund First Move if educators approved its curriculum. The cost to put the program into 39 classrooms across all five of the district's elementary schools was about $25,000.

Second-grade teacher Sondra Chernoff says teachers, some of whom had never played chess before, like the opportunity to build their repertoire of skills.

"We're like the students — we're learning like everybody else," she says. And by the way, she adds, they're also star-struck by the Chess Lady. "I think the teachers are more excited than the kids."

First Move Art Contest Winners!

Congratulations to the following 14 winners of the First Move art contest. Each winner will be featured in our First Move calendar that will go out with the upcoming school year kits.

First Move Valentines Tournament Winner

Congratulations to Mr. Hernandez's third grade class. They won the 2011 Valentines Tournament. Here are the results.

1st Place

 Mr. Hernandez at Chickasaw Elementary Orlando, FL 89 Logins

2nd place

Ms. Martin at Assumption school in O'Fallon, MO 69 Logins

3rd Place

  Mrs. Wagner at Owyhee Elementary in Boise, ID 51 logins

Announcements

2011 Tournaments and Contests

Renewal is Here! 

New Online Play is Here!

Our new online play is finally here and features:

• Easy password retrieval
• Student ability to setup their own password
• Teacher access to classroom reporting
• Wins vs. losses reporting
• Ability to select playing the computer or a student
• Varying levels of difficulty
• and much more!

Our St. Patrick's Day Tournament will be held on the new system. You will receive a separate email containing your username and password. If you do not see it in your inbox make sure to check your spam folder.

To access online play go to http://www.play.af4c.org and login. If you did not receive your password click "Lost Password?" Your username and password will be automatically emailed to you. Once you login you will be able to create logins for each of your students. Or you can allow your students to logon and create their own.

 For detailed instructions click here. 

Talk about a smart group of kids!  Last week I had the opportunity to visit with the students at Garwood Elementary in Idaho.  I asked them what they like about chess and their answers were wonderful, so much more than, “It’s fun.”  One little girl said, “I love chess because it helps me strategize.”  Those thinking skills are so important!  On that note, I taught the students the APE Dance before I left.  Now it has nothing to do with monkeys, it’s all about Analyzing, Planning, and Executing, those valuable skills used on the chessboard and in life.  Send me a note if your classroom would like to learn the APE Dance.  I loved visiting Garwood and hope to be in more schools soon, maybe I will visit your school next!

Chances are most of them have only one thing on their mind: fun. But many educators believe there is a correlation between the thought-provoking pastime and how well a student does in life.

"Chess teaches them not so much the movement of the pieces but what your opponent can throw at you ... preparing for the unforeseen by trying to predict ... just like life," said Josh Bentley, a volunteer chess instructor at Sartell Middle School.

Chess is now inspiring second and third-grade students around the country thanks to a program from America's Foundation for Chess: First Move. The award-winning program introduces chess as a learning tool to teach critical thinking skills, and build self-esteem and confidence.

"Chess is like a more advanced form of checkers. You have to use lots of strategy. And it can help your grades a lot, too. I've noticed my grades improve," said Harris, a Sartell student in the chess club, which is not part of the First Move program.

In 2010, First Move celebrated its 10th anniversary by engaging more than 50,000 students in almost 2,000 classrooms across 27 states. In 2011, America's Foundation for Chess (AF4C) plans to expand the program to an additional 30,000 students nationwide.

"In nearly 30 nations around the world, chess is integrated into the country's scholastic curriculum," AF4C Executive Director Wendi Fischer said in relation to First Move, which began in 2000 and was introduced to its first classrooms in the Seattle area a few years later.

According to a study conducted by Education Northwest in 2009, more than half of First Move parents found learning chess helped improve their child's grades and more than 62% credited the chess education program with improving their child's attitude toward school.

"In the U.S., despite numerous studies that demonstrate the impact chess education can have on cognitive and critical thinking skills, chess is rarely incorporated into American schools," Fischer said.

Even though today's preteens live in the age of video games, Facebook and other technological advances, chess offers an alternative.

"I just got 'Mario Kart' and 'Just Dance' for Christmas (for the Wii), and that's probably my favorite thing to do on the Wii ... but sometimes I like to do stuff that's more quiet. It just depends on how I'm feeling," sixth-graders Hannah Kosloski said of the board game that teaches her strategy.

Win, lose

One of the more important lessons the students learn playing chess is not just losing graciously if they do lose but rather to not give up even when things seem hopeless, according to Bentley.

"I've been trying to teach them that when a player just has their king left and says, 'I'm going to lose,' I tell them, 'Not necessarily,'" he said. "We focus on the best outcome we can get."

The club has even tried a horseshoe tournament where a player would suddenly have to switch from his game and board to another one already in play, forcing them to quickly think on their feet.

Players are pitted against each other in the chess club based on their ability of play and progress through a tournament of sorts until a prize is awarded at the end of six weeks.

"We refer to pieces as the 'knight' or the 'rook,' not as 'the little horsy' or 'castle,'" Bentley said of how the club does not dumb down the game to suit the middle school students.

Bentley, 27, said he has been playing chess since he was in middle school and once placed third in a school competition. It is his second year volunteering at the chess club.

" 'Boring, too complicated' are some of the kinds of things people think of when they think of chess, but myself, what I think I kind of like is you're in control. You're moving all the pieces ... trying to stay that two steps ahead (of your opponent)," Bentley said.

Courtesy of USA Today January 24, 2011

BELLEVUE, WA, January 17, 2011 – Move over lunch lady….The Chess Lady is making her move to classrooms nationwide. Chess is now inspiring second and third grade students around the country thanks to an innovative program from America’s Foundation for Chess:  First Move^TM. This award-winning program introduces chess – with the help of an unexpected classroom celebrity, The Chess Lady – as a learning tool to teach critical thinking skills, improve math, reading, behavioral and social skills, and build self-esteem and confidence in students. In 2010, First Move celebrated its 10^th anniversary by engaging more than 50,000 students in nearly 2000 classrooms across 27 states. In 2011, America’s Foundation for Chess (AF4C) plans to expand the program to an additional 30,000 students nationwide.

“In nearly 30 nations around the world, chess is integrated into the country's scholastic curriculum,” says Wendi Fischer, AF4C Executive Director and “The Chess Lady.”  “In the U.S., despite numerous studies that demonstrate the impact chess education can have on cognitive and critical thinking skills, chess is rarely incorporated into American schools. Our goal with First Move is to bring positive change to our educational system and make chess a regular part of every child’s classroom experience.”

AF4C created First Move to seamlessly introduce chess as a learning tool in second and third grade classrooms to support the existing academic and social programs. The curriculum is specifically mapped to standards for second and third grade. Not only are the students benefitting from the critical thinking, group problem solving, and social interaction, but they’re also having fun. They play to learn, not to win, so they transfer the intellectual, social and emotional qualities from the game of chess to school and real world success.

“Students tend to be tentative and want someone else to do their work for them, give them the answer, or figure it out for them,” says Jill Massa, Principal, Warden Elementary School (Warden, WA). “But with the chess games that they play as part of First Move, they are forced to think for themselves in a fun way which builds their confidence.

According to a study conducted by Education Northwest in 2009, more than half of First Move parents found learning chess helped improve their child’s grades and more than 62% credited the chess education program with improving their child’s attitude toward school.

First Move began in 2000 and was introduced to its first classrooms in the Seattle area a few years later. It has grown and is primarily supported through individual and corporate donations, with a nominal fee for participating classrooms or school districts. First Move is offered during the school day as a supplemental curriculum to the existing core curriculum. Teachers do not need to know chess; they can learn along with their students as The Chess Lady introduces the game step-by-step via interactive videos. The focus is not on competition or tournament play, but rather on the thinking skills that are an inherent part of chess. First Move promotes courtesy toward others; students learn to shake hands before and after a game, respect rules and think ahead.

About America’s Foundation for Chess:

Based in Bellevue, Washington, America’s Foundation for Chess is a non-profit 501c(3) organization which developed First Move™ to introduce chess as a learning tool. Kids see chess as a game and do not realize the powerful learning that goes on while they play. As a result of First Move, teachers often see students grasp math concepts faster, as well as demonstrate an increase in reading comprehension.  The program is currently in 27 states, and in fall of 2010 was introduced to 29 classrooms in Antigua.

Schools interested in integrating First Move into their curriculum can call 1-866-973-2342. To become a donor, visit http://www.af4c.org/pages/donors.

For more information about First Move and AF4C, visit their website, www.af4c.org or find them on Facebook.

# # #