War on a board
Austin Catholic Elementary students make their moves in Chess Club
By Eric Johnson Austin Daily Herald
Published Monday, December 7, 2009

The game of chess is a lot of things. It’s regal, it’s challenging, it’s historic.

Its strategy, whatever path that takes a player, requires a forethought that will take you past just one move, or even two and three moves.

It’s war on a board.

For Austin Catholic Area Elementary students, it’s an hour after school on Wednesdays as part of the chess club.

Players meet, they play each other and they plan for their next game, which reveals an interesting aspect of this club. It’s not just a game, but almost a class designed to teach these kids what could be a very complicated game.

“It makes you think,” fifth-grader Joseph Kroymann said. “The best feeling of the game is saying checkmate.”

Volunteer Dick Titus supervises the class. He takes several ideas into the club to help them learn quicker, including a variation of the game called, “No Stress Chess.”

The game uses cards the players draw to help them better familiarize themselves with the game. Whatever piece is on the card is the piece the player has to move. If the piece is trapped, then the player loses a turn.

He also has the kids document what they do. Again, so they can see how better to play the game, and perhaps see what can be done different.

“I force them to write their moves down, keep their own tally,” Titus said. “They take tabs and then play the games over.”

Here is the full article.

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