All the right moves

Randy Prothero and Rep. Marilyn Lee

I got a sneak preview of Rep. Marilyn Lee's upcoming Kukui Connection show on Chess with guest Randy Prothero, President of the Hawaii Chess Federation. It's an interesting and informative half hour, scheduled to air this Sunday, August 3rd, 4:00 p.m. on Olelo, channel 54. The show will be repeated on August 17 and 31, same time, same channel.

Here's what they discuss:

• A brief history of chess, an ancient game which many cultures claim credit for originating.
• Chess as a game vs. chess as a sport.
• Chess as a way of studying warfare.
• How the clock really works.
• Indicators of when a child is ready to learn chess.
• Chess as a means of increasing intellectual capacity.
• Chess as a math tool.
• Chess as a means to develop sportsmanship and etiquette.

It's probably no surprise to hear that most children pick up chess initially as a computer game. Prothero says that 50% of first graders already know how to move the pieces because of their exposure to the computer. By the fifth grade, that percentage goes up to 80%.

For more info on chess in the schools, and chess in Hawaii, go to http://www.hawaiichess.org/. The Hawaii Chess Federation is always looking for volunteers and are in need of coaches.