What better way to learn the game of chess than to become a living chess piece? Kids participating in the new Chess Ninja classes at MACC will have the opportunity to do just that starting Thursday, March 30.
Instructor Thomas Lane, who moved to Chattanooga in September from Florence, Ala., has five years’ experience teaching chess to kids. Locally, he taught a class at Chattanooga’s downtown library branch in December. Lane teaches using the Chess Ninja program, which uses the slogan “Play games, get brains.”
Benefits of learning chess include building cognitive skills, developing forward thinking and learning to weigh options before making a move, he said. But learning to lose is perhaps the greatest benefit.
“The beauty of chess is teaching kids how to lose with growing and learning in mind,” said Lane. “It’s a good platform for teaching both character skills and cognitive skills.”
He recommends kids learn the game as early as possible, as long as they’re learning in a setting that meets their developmental needs. Lane separates his students – most of who are brand new to chess – into four age groups, and bases his instruction on their level of development, he said.