Club combines chess, learning

The sound of children’s laughter echoed throughout the Monroe County Public Library on Sunday. Accompanying the giggles was the jingling sound of chess pieces being moved about.

The Bloomington Indiana Scholastic Chess Club met for the second time this month in the MCPL’s auditorium.

Students in grades K-12 meet twice a month to play and receive lessons from instructors.

Aaron Dean, from Learning Through Games, is an instructor.

The meeting separated the kids into two groups based on their skill level. Dean’s group of beginners sat onstage isolated by the auditorium’s curtain.

To make the lesson more palatable to younger participants, Dean taught through the animated retelling of a dream.

 Each moment of his dream coincided with a specific plan relatable to chess.

“Here’s what happened,” he said before going into an intricate description of an action plan involving each of his students representing a specific chess piece.

MCPL’s Chapter President Rebecca Harris said she first got involved in the nonprofit organization for the benefit of her son.

“I’ve learned that it’s a great group of kids,” she said. “It’s something beyond the video games.”

Chess increases a child’s ability to focus and concentrate.

It also teaches strategy skills. BISCC is conducive for bringing kids together, she said.
“I think they enjoy interacting with other children,” she said.

While each meeting revolves around the basic game of chess, Harris said the club incorporates different versions of the game into the lesson plan.

Dean, for example, used a game that fused the classic board game “Operation” with chess.

“We have a lot of different versions of chess games,” she said. “Some that are more fun and silly.”

Parents involved with the BISCC say they enjoy its learning benefits, but the kids say they enjoy BISCC because of the challenges chess presents.

Dean’s class referred to a chess game as a “battle.” Willow Shoemaker, one of the more energetic players, was one of the beginner members.

“It’s fun, it takes a lot of skill,” she said. “I think I’ll be in the club longer.”