Chess Out-side the Box
By Frank Wennin

    Chess is called the king of games and the game of kings. In a world where most people are chess pieces on someone else's game board, and good move-bad move, trade off and sacrifice effects every commitment, decision, purchase and choice that we make, whether we realize it or not, it can be reasoned, that teaching kids the lessons of chess early, and applying it early, can make us better players in the game of life as adults. The better you know yourself - the better you can read your opponent. Manipulating resources over a level playing field, sizing up your opponents position, making sure certain resources are in place before other moves can be made are among the many reasons why they call chess the game of life and consider it an essential life skill. And, it is has now been made part of the life skills curriculum in D.C., New York state schools and in other areas of the country. (www.olympicchessdc.org). We can trace it back to sixth century India, although others would argue that it dates back to the Temple of Solomon.
    However, what we do know today is that chessintheschools.org is a five million dollar a year endowment. And, mentoring is arguably a multibillion dollar industry. But, for whatever reason, few have ever blended chess and mentoring to create a better education model. Those who do will set the pace for the growing market place. Because, every game played perfectly is a draw. And for every move, physics tells us there is an equal and opposite counter move. Just because people don't take the time to see it doesn't mean that it isn't there. So, at the end of the day, no one is any better that anyone else. But, who one has been resourceful enough to be able to prove it?