Kids Learn the Moves at Chess Camp
West County Weekly (CA) July 11, 2003
KIDS LEARN THE MOVES AT CHESS CAMP
MARY REILEY, STAFF WRITER
IRISH CHESS MASTER Sam Collins, 20, came to teach East Bay children his favorite game for two weeks at the Berkeley Chess School Summer Camp. He has had such a good time, he decided to stay an extra week.
Collins has played chess for 10 years and represented the Irish Men's Team in the 35th Olympiad, held last year in Bled, Slovenia. That's where Elizabeth Shaughnessy, founder and president of Berkeley Chess School, caught up with him and invited him to teach in the summer program, held at Hillside School in Berkeley.
Visiting the camp Tuesday, I was amazed at the attention a chess instructor can get from young players. Any teacher would love to have all eyes riveted to the front of the room where he or she is presenting a math problem to students, or leading an exercise in the correct use of the English. There were 18 boys and two girls puzzling over possible moves on a board, and many joined the debate of which move would be most effective.
Chess erases age barriers between players. The students I met Tuesday ranged from first graders through high school. While many children begin playing at 5 or 6, some may start as young as 4. Saya Wallace, 12, started playing chess with her father at age 6 when her family lived in Wisconsin. After they moved to Kensington, she joined a chess club at school.
"I took a liking to tournaments and that got me more interested because I had to practice more," she said.
Sam Collins teaches kids about chess strategy during the Berkeley Chess School Summer Camp in Berkeley. A chess master and instructor in his native Ireland, he represented the Irish Men's Team in the 35th Olympiad last year in Bled, Slovenia.
Gabriela Steiner, 8, of Richmond, started in kindergarten. A third-grade student at School of the Madeleine in Berkeley, she was at chess camp this week with her 6-year-old brother, Robert Steiner. "I thought I wouldn't like it at first," she said. "I actually like it because they have an exciting, good way of learning."
Since Robert is just beginning to play, Gabriela plays mostly with her mom or dad.
Does she ever find it boring?
"Not at all. I love it," she said.
Collins is concerned computer games may cause children's attention spans to become shorter. He feels chess can help them learn to concentrate for longer and longer periods.
On the other hand, the Internet allows children to compete in tournaments with players around the world. "I've never been concerned that chess be popular," he said. "(For) quiet kids who don't get a chance to shine (elsewhere), chess can be great.
"If they want to, they can study 20 hours a day or just play an occasional game."
Many of the campers seemed to reinforce what their teacher was saying.
During a break in class sessions, some were playing kick ball and basketball, swinging from playground equipment or sitting quietly under a tree, but many broke out chess boards of various sizes to keep playing.
Monday, the chess camp's final week starts. For information, go online to www.berkeleychessschool.org or call 510-843-0150. The chess school offers after-school programs at 150 sites throughout Northern California, many located in West County.
(Eddie Ledesma/Times photos).
Copyright (c) 2003 West County Weekly.