Chess wizards gear up for Canadian championships
Tian Tian Geng, 15, studies hard before making a move.
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Updated: July 16, 2009 6:27 PM
Focus on the game, players learn from young age
Six children sit very still in an unusually quiet room in a Fell Street home. They’re focusing on the games in front of them.
This isn’t your average summer camp. These kids have traded in bows and arrows for kings and bishops.
Tian Tian Geng, 15, and Jill Ding, 13, are two of Victoria’s premier chess players. The two are preparing for the Canadian Youth Chess championships, July 21-24 in Victoria. They’ve been training hard, like athletes flexing their minds in preparation for battle.
Geng said the competition is about becoming a stronger player. “It’s about playing a game you know you do well in. There’s definitely going to be someone better than you,” he said.
Their coach and host on this day, Greg Churchill, said the competition is important for the kids to show off their skills, but what they learn also applies to their academic and social lives. “Chess is a good idea for kids to play and learn at a basic level. It helps with problem solving abilities,” he said.
Churchill has taught chess in Victoria elementary schools for 12 years. He said children who learn chess in school improve their reading comprehension and math skills. They also learn concentration and planning skills while developing good sportsmanship.
“It helps you think logically,” Ding said.
lweighton@vicnews.com
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