Chess Teaching Manual

The purpose of this manual is to encourage the playing of chess by young people.
Chess has been shown to improve academic performance. A youngster taking part in a chess
program develops:
• critical thinking
• logic, reasoning, and problem solving abilities
• memory, concentration and visualization skills
• confidence, patience and determination
• poise
• self-expression
• good sportsmanship
• children who participate in chess programs improve their self-esteem
It is not necessary for the teacher using this manual to be a good chess player - or evena chess player at all. The course has been designed to take the teacher step-by-step through the basics and onto more advanced strategies. It is hoped that we have done our job well, but of course this is the first edition of this manual (experimental, if you will) and there is always room for improvement.