Church Street Elementary School to Hold Chess Competition

Church Street Elementary School Students will match wits Saturday at the school’s held by the (NSCF).

“We’re really excited to hold this tournament,” said Michael Villafane, the father of a second grade student at  who coordinates the school’s chess program.

The competition starts at Church Street School at 10 a.m. Early registration is $35, and on-site registration is $50 (from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.) is $50. Fourth and fifth grades students must be a member of the U.S. Chess Foundation, which costs $17 annually. 

Click for details and to register for the event.

Villafane first got involved in coordinating chess at Church Street when his son, Soren, was in the first grade.

“My son was interested in playing chess, because he knew I had an interest in chess,” said Villafane.

Since he’s a stay-at-home dad, Villafane supervises the students—making sure they eat their lunch, pay attention, and behave well—while they are being taught by the NSCF teachers during their lunch/recess periods.  

The NSCF, based in White Plains, says chess helps to cultivate thinking skills, as well as reasoning, the fourth “R” in education, in addition to:

• Critical thinking skilsl, including: knowledge, comprehension, analysis, evaulation
• Forethought
• Visualization, concentration, problem solving and good sportsmanship skills
• helping to overcome the fear of risk-taking
• self-discipline
• ability to assume responsibility for decisions
• raising self-esteem

The NSCF also says that chess is for students of all educational levels; rewards determination and perserverance; encourages socialization skills that extend across cultures and generations and is fun!

Armenia recently made chess part of its educational curriculum in schools.

Students sign-up for lessons from the NSCF, with the Church Street PTA and NSCF providing scholorships for students who can’t afford to pay to full tuition. First through fifth grade Church Street students get their chess lessons once a week during their lunch and recess period. Students eat lunch, enjoy a chess lesson and play chess.

Other White Plains schools, like Ridgeway Elementary School, also offer chess. White Plains is also home to U.S. Chess Master Joshua Colas, the youngest black chess master in history. 

Joshua, 13, is an eighth grader at White Plains Middle School and recently played on Team USA at the , Brazil. Click here to learn more about Joshua and how you can help him on his path to become a chess grandmaster.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Villafane. “I like watching kids play chess. The chess teacher are very, very good with the kids, it is their speciality to teach elementary school kids.”

Though Villafane says he plays chess, he says he’s also learning a thing or two at Church Street School.

“The chess lessons are really interesting,” said Villafane. “I don’t even think I knew, when I started, that certain chess pieces have a certain number of places. So, I learned something too which was very rewarding as a volunteer. I know my son enjoyed seeing me around the school.”

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