So far as we know, Bobby Fischer never broke from his 1972 chess match with Boris Spassky to ask his coach to tie his shoelaces.
And he never captured Spassky’s bishop while whistling like a falling missile.
Yet, that’s the kind of thing that goes on at Chess4Life, an after-school program available every Wednesday afternoon to students at Cascade View Elementary School.
The Bellevue-based program goes to schools across Puget Sound teaching children life lessons through chess, said Lane Van Weerdhuizen, a Chess4Life coach.
“We’re a chess program, but we’re definitely about the kids,” said Roy Almasy, a chess coach who teaches alongside Weerdhuizen.
Lessons include respect — children must maintain eye contact with one another when one of them is talking; sportsmanship — matches begin and end with a handshake; and critical thinking — seeing their options and weighing the consequences.
Another big lesson deals with the inevitability of losing.
“Capablanca said you have to be ready to lose hundreds of matches in chess before you become great,” Almasy said regarding chess legend Jose Raul Capablanca, “and this is a guy who went undefeated for eight years.”
Capablanca did win or draw 63 consecutive matches between 1916 and 1924. During four of those years, he was the world champion. No word exists on who tied his shoelaces.
“At Chess4Life, you learn that losing is inevitable,” Almasy said. “But you take the loss as a gift, because it’s an opportunity to learn.”
Children don’t have to know chess to come to Chess4Life, Almasy said. Some have never played before. Classes last for one hour, a blink in chess terms, but children manage to learn opening moves, strategy and chess etiquette.
Despite the seriousness of chess, Almasy runs no boot camp. To get the children’s attention, he claps a little tune and the children clap along.
“Our first rule is, have fun,” Almasy said.
At the end of class, Jesus Ramos, the whistling-missile child, rolled up his rubber chessboard and lightly smacked Almasy upside the head as he put pieces away.
That does sound like something Fischer would do to his coach.
OK, perhaps not lightly.
Sebastian Moraga, 392-6434, ext. 221, or [email protected]. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com
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