Each year, Real Men Charities, the Hood Hope Movement, and the Quarry Event Center welcomed children to the free Summer Camp at the Quarry. This summer the idea of teaching children through chess was brought to Rael Jackson, Real Men Charities Program Manager and he didn’t hesitate to embrace it. Fun With Chess, is a unique educational program designed to teach young children chess while nurturing essential life skills like spatial awareness, visualization, strategic thinking, and problem-solving. Unlike traditional chess programs that focus solely on the technical aspects of the game, Fun With Chess takes an integrated approach, intertwining play, creativity, and mental engagement to develop a child’s brain in multiple areas. Jackson explained “Everything has consequences. This program gives children the opportunity to consider those consequences and strategically plan their next moves accordingly.”
Vincent Walker, lead instructor, teaches children patience, perseverance, and how to think multiple steps ahead, assisted by college students from Hampton, Morgan State, Jackson State and DePaul University.
A study conducted by the American Chess Foundation found that students who participated in chess programs scored higher on reading and math standardized tests. Chess enhances cognitive abilities by requiring children to memorize patterns, develop strategies, and anticipate their opponent’s moves. This repetitive process improves a child’s memory and logic.
Developed by educators and chess enthusiasts, Fun With Chess employs a blend of physical activities, visual aids, storytelling, and hands-on experiences to simplify complex concepts for young learners.
One of the key features of Fun With Chess is its playful, child-centered methodology. Chess can be an intimidating game due to its complexity, but Fun With Chess breaks down these barriers by incorporating games, puzzles, and stories that children can relate to and a variety of interactive tools and visual aids, such as oversized chessboards, digital platforms, and physical chess sets to help children visualize the game as a narrative, making it more accessible and enjoyable.
One of the primary skills that Fun With Chess seeks to develop in young learners is spatial awareness. Spatial awareness refers to an individual’s ability to understand the relationships between objects and themselves in a given space.
It plays a vital role in numerous real-world activities, such as driving, sports, and even reading comprehension. In chess, spatial awareness helps children visualize the board, plan future moves, and foresee how their actions will affect the game’s progression.
Strategic thinking is the ability to plan and execute a series of actions to achieve a long-term goal. Chess is a game of strategy at its core, requiring players to think several moves ahead and anticipate the consequences of their actions. Fun With Chess introduces children to this type of thinking in a way that is both approachable and enjoyable.
Chess also requires effective time management and organization. Players must prioritize which pieces to move and in what order, while managing the limited time available during a game. Fun With Chess teaches children to stay organized by helping them categorize different types of moves (offensive, defensive, etc.) and showing them how to develop short-term and long-term goals on the board. This skill transfers well to other areas of life, helping children manage tasks and responsibilities more efficiently.
Fun With Chess is also available to Chicago elementary schools through an affordable program developed by Ralph Jones, the highly committed creator, in alliance with the nonprofit, Real Men Charities, This experience doesn’t have to stop with the end of summer. Children who participated in the summer camp are given access to the Fun With Chess where they have the option to continue playing and learning online. Ralph Jones adds, “The Fun with Chess Learning System just got better with the addition of an integrated Chess A pp that allows users to play against each other on mobile devices online or offline.”
This summer’s Fun With Chess wouldn’t have been possible without the generous sponsorship of Ms. K. Westbrook and the Wintrust Community Bank, along with the Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities and “ #SafeandPeaceful Chi.”
As we say goodbye to another summer, we look forward with great anticipation to 2025 and Summer Camp at the Quarry with Fun with Chess.
Editor’s Note: Real Men Charities is also the nonprofit of South Side Drive Magazine. William Crawford, a well-known Chicago Chess Master is the father of Rael Jackson, Real Men Charities’ Program Director. Crawford’s youngest son recently won a tournament in Philadelphia that generated a sizable monetary award.
