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TWO brothers who are pupils at St Anthonys National School at Ballinlough are mini-grandmasters of local chess.

Before lockdown, in February, Cillian, aged 11, and nine-year-old Eddie Ross won in their respective age groups at the Cork South Junior Chess Championships held at Blackrock GAA Club.

Cillian beat 62 competitors while Eddie succeeded against 24 players.

What were the chances of that? asks chess coach, Richard Pardi, a retired primary school teacher from Togher Boys NS, who has been teaching chess there for a number of years.

Were certainly looking at a lot of talent from these brothers.

The boys only started playing chess with Richard in September, 2019. They had started playing the game with their father, Steve, a New Zealander.

The family, which includes three other children and their mother, Aoife, lived in New Zealand for a number of years before returning to Cork in 2018.

The brothers are remarkably quick, says Mr Pardi. During lockdown, we held an online chess tournament which lasted for eight days. Either Eddie or Cillian won it each day apart from one day.

The advantage of chess at present is that you can play it at home and online.

Richard, who has been coaching young chess players in Cork for more than 30 years, says he doesnt really know what skills are required to be good at it.

I would think its very visually-related. It might even be linked to the visual side of mathematics as in geometry. Ive taught kids chess who were inattentive when it came to the blackboard or the whiteboard. But when I put up the chess demonstration board, they responded to it immediately.

I think chess is very good for concentration. The chess coaching sessions that I do after school are a kind of social thing too. The pupils have had a long day and dont want to be listening to a teacher. I have to limit the amount of time I spend at the demonstration board. I mainly let them play.

When theyre playing, they chat and concentrate as well.

Theres a long established ethos of having respect for ones opponent in chess. Civility is important though ultimately, the decisive moves in chess are as tough and demanding as putting for a major championship in golf or kicking those decisive test penalties in rugby.

The European Parliament has recommended playing chess in schools.

Spain and Italy introduced chess to the school curriculum. Its great for social skills.

Richard points out that we are constantly hearing about kids having short attention spans.

But when theyre playing chess, they dont notice 40 minutes going by. It may help them to concentrate on school subjects. It doesnt hurt anyway!

The chess scene in Cork is lively, or it was pre-Covid, he adds.

A new committee of young teachers has come on board and has established an organisation called Ficheall (the Irish word for chess.) Around 40 or 50 schools competed last year in competitions.

The city is divided into sections for chess. Cork South is the area Im involved in, stretching from Beaumont to the west and including Greenmount, St Josephs, St Anthonys and Crab Lane.

The ethos of Ficheall is participation as much as competition, adds Richard.

Kids usually start chess in second or third class when theyre seven or eight. If youre going to start kids younger, theyd need to play more than one day a week.

Richard says that there wouldnt be any inter schools chess in Cork, at either primary or secondary school level, if it wasnt for the dedication of chess coach, Joe Moroney.

Anybody can play chess, adds Richard.

Even the kids who would be going to learning support all know how to play a game of chess after a few months. It depends on the level. It is seen as a nerds pursuit or an intellectual pursuit, or at least thats how it is seen in this part of the world.

In Eastern Europe and Russia, even down to Serbia, nearly all kids can play chess. At the higher level of the game are the international masters.

Theres a serious amount of study involved in being a full-time professional chess player. Players are past their best by their late twenties or early thirties. The best players in the world have got younger and younger.

Richard compares chess to outdoor games.

Anybody who has the use of their limbs can play soccer at some level. It might be very poor. But then youve got the Real Madrids or the Barcelonas and its at a completely different level. Its the same with chess.

The board game is very good for kids who are not athletic, says Richard.

On the other hand, when I was teaching in Togher where there was a culture of chess, I had so many kids who were in football, hurling and soccer teams. Ive lost count of the amount of good senior hurlers and footballers who play chess.

Meanwhile, Cillian Ross says he likes chess because its a fun game. Sometimes, you get to play with your friends. I sometimes play with Eddie. During lockdown, we played at home a lot.

Chess requires players to be good at strategy, adds Cillian. He says it also helps to be clever.

Would he like to be a professional chess player?

I dont know what Im going to work at. I dont want to spend my life playing chess. I want to do other things.

Eddie, like Cillian, is very active. The brothers play cricket, soccer, tennis and basketball. Eddie would settle for being a professional chess player but only if I cant be a professional cricket player or soccer player.

Theres ambition!

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Meet these mini-grandmasters of chess - two brothers from Cork - EchoLive.ie

There are two likely reasons for the lack of female representation in the game, she reckons. One, unless you are among the top few players, its very difficult to earn money playing chess professionally. This is felt more acutely by women. Two, unlike men, many women still lack the qualities needed to reach the top in the game: an ego, a fighting spirit, the desire to crush the opponent. It might not be what you like to hear but I am being honest," she says. It could change, however. Edited excerpts:

Why is the representation of women so low in chess?

First of all, there are some natural things for men and women. Like, little girls like to naturally play with dolls and little boys with cars. Little girls might also play with cars but the majority of them (dont). Thats a big percentage drop. When you have less people participating, at the top you will find fewer of them.

Another factor is physical endurance. Chess games can go on for many hours. It might seem like physical strength doesnt play a role sitting at the chess board but it does. At the beginning, opponents are pretty equal. At the end, the tiredness accumulates and (it comes down to) the amount of energy you naturally haveof which, of course, men have more.

Yet another factor is, (growing up), girls need to be treated more gently. Sometimes they are told in chess class, You play like a girl." It might play a role in whether younger girls continue or not.

You said girls play with dolls and boys play with cars. I dont know how that analogy applies here, though. Chess seems to be a fairly unisex game.

In chess, there are factors such as fighting spirit. You want to crush the other person, show you are better. (These) instincts, I believe, are stronger in men. Women are more prone to nurturing, giving more love and attention. Many people want to say men and women are the same, we are equal. Of course we are equal but we also have differences that should be respected.... Some people might not like that its more natural for men to pick chess as an interest or women to maybe pick music or arranging flowers. Its not about women not being smart enough, but we should embrace our differences.

Some of the things you have observed fit into the idea of conventional gender roles. Like men having more fighting spirit", women being more nurturing". Some might even call it a bit sexist.

I dont think intellectual ability is worse. All I am saying is, there are some natural activities. Even at home. Do you see many times women watching football matches on TV? Why to make it artificially that we have to... that you do this we also have right to do that. This doesnt make much sense to me personally. But I know maybe people push for different views.

One of the counterpoints to this argument would be Judit Polgr and her father. They say its about the hard work. If you train your children well as they are growing, they can excel at the highest levels.

Yes, but her parents decided for her. If people decide for themselves, then obviously women naturally might pick other activities. Otherwise many more would be playing chess. Judit was exceptional. Its hard to base on her unique experience and say other women are this way too.

What her parents proved is women can be just as good, if they have interest, if they have the right environment.

Do you find any sexism in professional chess?

I dont think theres a lot of sexism. On the contrary, I think men want more and more women to participate (in chess). In FIDE, we have big support. But its not as easy to achieve. Within our commission, I found out that because there arent so many women in chess, even activities (tournaments) women get, they are usually decided by men. Our commissions goal is to change that.

What are the challenges women chess players face and how do these differ in different parts of the world?

It depends on where you come (from). In countries like Georgia and Russia, its in their culture. Its easy to get money. In others, they are struggling... The problem with chess is also (that) the professional chess players dont always have an easy time and earn money. Its a factor for womenfor women professionals, it is not an easy life. If you want to have children, if you travel around the world the whole time, to start a family is a challenge. It might play a role in women dropping out.

Theres some research that women at age 10-12 are equally interested (in chess as men). After a point, they start dropping out. We have a long way to go for real equity between men and women. Even countries where they are equal, in practice it doesnt work this way.

Do you think there can be a woman as an overall champion?

I think there can. There are some examples, like Judit Polgr, who showed women can be at the top.

What would it take?

If more women play chess in the future, theres a better chance that women can. But maybe turn of events, good luck, some extremely talented women will appear and win.

From what you told me, statistically and psychologically it seems unlikely.

Yes. Also, its proven by history. But that it hasnt happened yet doesnt mean that it wont happen now.

Also read: 'Why women lose at chess'.

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Its more natural for men to pick chess as an interest or women to pick arranging flowers - Mint

When John Arthur brings his students to the states annual chess competition, he can guess how theyll react. They dont ooh and aah over the fancy chess boards with glass pieces. And theyre not focused on how big or cool the convention space is.

Instead, they look around at the other students and one of them will say something like: Were the only brown kids here. And theyre often right, Arthur said.

Its part of why Arthur, who is Korean, takes his class to the tournament each year. Most of his sixth graders at Meadowlark Elementary in downtown Salt Lake City are kids of color. And he wants them to learn that they belong and can claim those spaces as their own, he said, especially where they have not traditionally been represented.

Its a proud moment for me," Arthur said, when I see them take charge at the competition anyway.

Arthur is in his eighth year of teaching at Meadowlark. Many educators leave the west-side school after completing their first three provisional years on the job, he noted, and transfer to the east side. But Arthur said he loves the opportunity to teach students who look like him and to give them opportunities, like chess and debate, that they might not traditionally have.

And on Thursday largely because of that dedication his students got to watch as this time he won his own competition and was crowned Utahs Teacher of the Year.

Wow. Are you kidding me? Arthur asked as the state superintendent sneaked up behind him while he was teaching his class on Zoom. She carried a big check for $10,000 and a bouquet of balloons.

The kids' faces lit up on the screen, with several clapping. Congrats, they shouted. Good job, Captain, added one boy, calling the teacher by the nickname the kids have for him. Arthur choked back tears as he paced back and forth between the superintendent and the students on the screen, not sure if he should keep teaching the reading lesson hed started.

To accept the honor, though, he was asked to say a few words in a separate video call with members of the Utah Board of Education. So his students took a quick recess, and Arthur threw on the tuxedo jacket he wore at his wedding. He said his mom, Suka, bought it for him with the hopes that hed wear it again when I won an Oscar or did something like that, he said with a laugh. This is as close as Im going to get.

As one of five finalists, Arthur had packed the jacket with him to his classroom Thursday on the off chance he won which he didnt think would happen, so on bottom, he still wore a pair of gym shorts. Still surprised at the honor, he told the board members, Im COVID chic.

In seriousness, though, he said: Children are the best people, and teaching is the best job. Theres just no better way to spend the day.

His focus, he said, has been on helping students of color succeed because he believes theyre often left behind. Hes served for years as the Asian American representative on the state boards access committee, which advises on education equity policies. With his role as Teacher of the Year, he intends to advocate for more minorities in the states teaching force, as well as more culturally responsive practices in the classroom.

When kids come back post-COVID, I want them to see teachers who look more like them, he added. And weve just got to make sure that were constantly shining a light on kids who might otherwise be forgotten.

Growing up, he said, he was a shy Korean boy who didnt often speak up in class. It wasnt until middle school that Arthur had a teacher who focused on him and tried to get him involved in academics. At that point, his ninth grade teacher, Mrs. Anderson, pushed him to join the Model United Nations club. It changed his trajectory, Arthur said. And thats what he hopes to do for his students with chess which he teaches on the first day of class each year.

I feel this award is so well deserved, Utah Board of Education member Janet Cannon commented on the videoconference.

With the title, Arthur also gets a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet President Donald Trump and the chance to compete for the title of national Teacher of the Year. He succeeds last years Utah Teacher of the Year, Lauren Merkley, and will stand next to Rae Boren from Copper Hills High and Emma Moss from Eastmont Middle School, who were named runners-up.

Thanks for all you do, all of you, added member Cindy Davis.

We sacrifice our bodies and minds and souls, Arthur added. We give everything in service to our kids and to the education of our students.

He teaches in Salt Lake City School District, the only one in the state to have started classes entirely online this fall. He jokes that hes a lot more like Tom Cruise in Minority Report now, with all the technology hes hooked up to while hes instructing. But hes glad the district prioritized safety, and he tries to incorporate a lot of the same things he would if his class was in person.

For one, he carries a camera around the classroom so students get a sense of what it looks like. The biggest thing he wants them to see are the posters hes hung up. There are pictures of towering mountain peaks, some covered in snow, others with a line of climbers making the way to the top.

Its because Arthurs mantra for the class is: We climb, we rise, we help.

His goal for his students is to teach them to work hard to get to the mountaintop, both in class and life. But they all have to assist one another and reach it together. No lesson is done until everyone in the room understands. If one student finishes the math assignment early, the expectation is that she finds another kid who would like her help. If a student is struggling, Arthur reminds him that he only gets to the peak step by step.

He is not a normal teacher, Felicia Raybourne, the mother of one of Arthurs former students, wrote in his nomination for Teacher of the Year. He is there to help kids through life. He makes sure his students understand everything they are learning no matter how much extra time it takes.

When the class completes a lesson together, Arthur declares: Champs, we made it to the top of the mountain. His student call him The Captain because of that. And he calls them his crew.

He lets them pick out their own nicknames, too. Part of that is to have fun. Part of it is to let them embrace who they want to be, he said. One girl goes by Gucci Banana. Theres also a kid that likes to be called Bacon, one named Beef and another called Shadow.

When you have a Big Boi 27 in your class, its hard not to smile, Arthur said. But it gives you a little bit of confidence. When I step in the building, for instance, Im The Captain. Its like an alter ego or a superhero. I want to empower these kids to feel the same.

He also shows them clips about hard work from Cool Hand Luke and runs a YouTube channel where his class annually makes a music video. And its also got clips of them discovering bugs, smashing eggs in a science project and dancing in the classroom.

He loves the district, he said, and wants to see it improve. And he wants all students to get the education they deserve.

Winning Teacher of the Year, he said with a laugh, is kind of like the next move in the chess game to accomplishing those goals.

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Why Utah's new Teacher of the Year wants his students of color to play chess - Salt Lake Tribune

BRIMFIELD Benjamin Bedell was a fun-loving guy who always made his classmates laugh, a former teacher said.

"He had a real dry sense of humor. He was fun to call on for answers to things. He would say something silly, and then he would come up with the answer," said Scott Carlson, the social studies teacher and basketball coach at Brimfield High School. "He was just a kid that all the other classmates enjoyed having in class because they knew he would crack up the class once or twice during the time he was there. I think he enjoyed being at school because he had his friends around him and he knew he could get a laugh or two."

Bedell, 18, a 2020 graduate of Brimfield High School, was pronounced dead about 4 p.m. Tuesday at the scene of the wreck at Illinois Route 89 and County Road 2100 North, a few miles south of Washburn.

The accident happened about 3 p.m. Tuesday when Bedell was driving east on the county road and pulled into the Route 89 intersection. He was struck by a northbound semitrailer truck hauling grain. The truck driver, Glenn Edwards, 70, of Henderson, Tenn., was taken by LifeFlight to OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

In addition to having a great sense of humor, Bedell was also a fine chess player, said Robert Bernales, the Brimfield High School math teacher and chess coach.

"He was an awesome chess player, probably the heart and soul of the team," said Bernales. "He was well-respected."

Bedell joined the chess team as a novice player, but he soon became an expert.

"He was a quick learner. He picked up the game and strategies very fast," said Bernales. "He actually beat me in a few games he pulled some surprises on me in a few games."

Bernales recalled a match against Metamora that appeared all but lost.

"He was losing pretty badly, and his opponent wasnt being very careful, and Ben found the one winning move it was perfect," said Bernales. "I remember the player from Metamora got mad and stormed out, but they became friends later. It was a pretty awesome game."

Wednesday was a rough day for teachers and students at Brimfield High School. With a student body of only about 240, everyone pretty much knows everybody. Bernales was among the many who took a day off to deal with their grief.

"We had quite a few not here, actually, and it was pretty somber," said Carlson. "It wasnt that long ago that we lost another student, Aaron Miller. A lot of their friends are the same people. Brimfield has been hit really hard for everybody to take. Especially their families and friends are definitely hurting."

Miller, 16, had just finished the first day of his junior year at Brimfield High School on Aug. 19 when he died in a single-vehicle wreck on U.S. Route 150 in Peoria County.

"Everybody around here is shocked and very sad," said Carlson. "Its going to take awhile to get past it, Im sure. We are praying for their families and friends."

Leslie Renken can be reached at 270-8503 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter.com/LeslieRenken, and subscribe to her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

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Gone too soon: Brimfield teen remembered as jokester and expert chess player - Pekin Daily Times

It's the classic game of cat and mouse played and admired by millions across the globe, one which requires meticulous planning and strategy to stay ahead of the opposition.

This thinking mans game is believed to have originated in India before the 7th century, although the pieces gained their current titles in Spain in the late 1400s.

The rules werent standardised until the 19th century, and the first recognised World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his title in 1886.

Hampshire residents have enjoyed playing the game over the years, like the team at King Edward VI school who made the headlines in 1996 after winning the British Times Schools Championship 15 times in 20 years.

Eastleigh Unity Club played host to the county individual championships in 1996, in which Southampton University secretary Alisdair Alexander won the under 175 grading prize.

Adam Norton form Woolston was just 11 years old when he was featured in The Southern Daily Echo for being one of the brightest prospects in chess.

Norton had represented England for three year in 1998, and hadnt lost a game. He was also the only person at Southampton Chess Club to win the Under 18 championship three years running.

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Pictures of people playing chess in Hampshire through the years - Daily Echo