Players benefitting from Point Fortin Chess Centre

FOR the past two years, some 170 players (mostly children) have benefitted from the establishment of the Point Fortin Chess Centre, the only facility of its kind in South Trinidad (beyond San Fernando).

Founded in partnership between Point Fortin businessman Raymond Aaron and lecturer Dr Jo-Anne Sewlal in 2016, the Chess Centre continues to afford its students an avenue to develop critical thinking and other crucial life skills.

The initiative took life when Aaron, a former president of the Rotary Club of Point Fortin, approached Sewlal to join the Rotary Club and work on a project by the club's vocations committee, to which she obliged.

Although Sewlal was new to the game at the time, they agreed to pursue it, given her background as an educator. The Chess Centre has since become independent of the Rotary Club.

"I was always interested in chess, but I never got the opportunity. So it was something on my bucket list to learn and an opportunity for me to use my background in education, but also to learn the game at the same time," said Sewlal in an interview with Newsday.

While learning the game, Sewlal embarked on a project to teach the game through the use of manuals, which are easy to understand. The three levels – novice, intermediate and advance – are available for sale at RIK Services.

She explained why and how the manuals came to print.

"I started (to learn chess) and I said, 'look, I'm not really getting it. This is kind of silly. I have a PhD and I can't get it?' So I looked through some manuals and I found that it's not simple; it's not brought down to the simplest form that anyone can learn, because a lot of people come to chess with a stigma that it's a nerd sport, it's a bright person sport, when it's just a fun game," she said.

"It's a nice game of strategy. So that was my goal. I started to make notes for myself. I said, you know, this could develop into something more."

The sale of the manual contribute toward the Centre's operations, as does its other merchandise, which include chess training sets, demo board, scoreboard and other forms of literature relating to chess.

The Centre has also received considerable support for its various activities from LNG producer, Atlantic.

The responses to the opening of the Chess Centre has been encouraging, Sewlal said, especially since chess centres and clubs in the region are sorely lacking.

"The closest probably that you can get such classes is San Fernando," Sewlal said.

One parent, Sewlal said, told her she wish her child started playing chess earlier.

"Sometimes the children actually tell the parents that they want to stay in chess, while they are doing their lessons for SEA. And one of the parents actually remarked to me that it made a huge difference, that she wish she had know about it sooner. She found that it calms them and keeps them more focused, and you know how stressful SEA exams can be."

As someone who only recently started playing the game, Sewlal said the benefits to learning it are striking.

"Chess teaches many different skills; you learn math, you learn pattern development, how to recognise patterns. Most of all, it really develops the ability for critical thinking, which is invaluable in everything," Sewlal said.

Aaron agreed.

"Chess is a great medium for improving the intellect of children in particular, he said. "This is well proven in the academic results of students at schools where chess is pursued as an extracurricular activity.

Aaron said his vision is to see a greater awareness of the merits of the game and for it to be accepted as an essential part of the school curriculum.

They thanked the Centre's volunteers, who he said have been invaluable to the cause.

"Without them we would not have achieved much," Aaron said.

Excluding Sewlal and Aaron, the volunteer trainers are Shedron Collins, Nikhil Nicholas, Franklyn Neckles, Dirmid Nicholas, Lincoln Joseph, Avanelle Joseph, Indira Samaroo, Kalifa Collins, Frankie Permell, Neil Martin, Stephon Nathaniel and Charlene Mitchell.

Since the Centre was established nearly three years ago, its players have entered many national and club competitions, with the results improving steadily.