Day one of our first sessions was a great success. Our agenda included learning the board, the pieces and their moves. For beginners, our students did very well. The grabbed the concept of white rook a1 or white to the right as easy ways to remember board placement. Each student created a diagram of each chess figure and drew directional arrows showing the directions in which each piece is allowed to move. True artist!
We discussed dreams and aspirations, because every Pawn aspires to be a Queen. Members told of hopes of becoming a fashion designer, singer, game designer and even a designer of toy dolls.. That's amazing, these individuals truly put thought to what they would like for their future to hold as self employed designers, performers and artist.
As we enjoyed a lunch of pizza, lemonade and cinnabons, we associated the game of chess with life experiences. As beginners, they are taught the strengths, role and movement of each piece, as well as their worth. Even the Pawn has worth. We discussed the importance of thinking through every decision, planning and reviewing your options before jumping out and making a quick decision. Just as the role of each piece is to protect and guard their King, our role in life is to guard our hearts. Good choices, right decisions and timely planning are all a part of chess and life.
Next week we look forward to watching the movie 'Queen of Katwe'.