A new ECA at CISS is Chess – both in the PYP and the MYP. Chess is one of the oldest games in the world. Although no-one knows for sure, it was probably invented in India more than a thousand years ago! Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8×8 grid. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each piece type moves differently, with the most powerful being the queen and the least powerful the pawn. The most important piece is the king, because the aim of the game is to capture your opponent’s king.

The number of children learning to play chess is increasing every year. Succeeding at chess cultivates the ability to sit still and to think and to concentrate. It teaches children how to be patient and develop critical thinking skills as well as utilize and develop various strategies. At CISS there are 15 PYP students playing chess each week and in the MYP there are 12 students playing each week.

Chess can be a wonderful educational tool for the young, a pleasant pastime for adults, and a solace in advanced age. When you give a child the gift of chess, you may be giving a gift that lasts a lifetime. We are trusting that Chess at CISS will grow from strength to strength.