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Compton, California Chess is a game of make-believe kings and queens, pawns and rooks. So what does that have to do with real life? Turns out, quite a bit.

For 12-year-old Andre, chess is more than just a game.

"I use a lot of stuff that I learned on the chess board in real life, like, think before you move, think before I act out," he told CBS News.

He's just one of thousands of students from some of Los Angeles' toughest neighborhoods learning to play.

Damen Fletcher, who learned how to play chess at age 13, grew up in Compton. After leaving the city to attend college, he came home to find his childhood friends struggling.

"Some of them had fallen into prison. Gang life and drugs ... and I just wondered, 'Why did I have such a different outcome?' And it was chess," he said.

He started Train of Thought to help kids of all ages find their inner king or queen.

"Every game of chess is 75 to 100 moves, and every single move that your opponent makes presents a new problem for you to solve," he said. "And so kids are just having fun. They don't realize that they're solving problems."

So, how do you teach a 5-year-old how to play chess?

"We actually have a really cool story that we use to help kids that age set up a chess board for the first time," Fletcher said. "It goes: the king and the queen got married by the bishops. They rode on horses to their castle and had eight children."

"My main thing in class is: be a scholar. So being a scholar to me is being prepared, productive and never giving up," Andre said.

Since Wednesday's broadcast of this story on the "CBS Evening News," Fletcher said he has received an outpouring of support from viewers across the country, with some asking how they can volunteer with Train of Thought.

While the program is currently in schools in California and Louisiana, Fletcher's dream is to expand it nationwide and even bring it to schools in Uganda.

He also told CBS News that he is grateful to those who have sent monetary donations to Train of Thought.

"I started chatting with one guy last night who said he was moved to tears watching the story," Fletcher told CBS News on Thursday. That man donated $500, according to Fletcher. Other donations ranged from $10 to $40.

"It is a blessing to know there are people out there you haven't even met that believe in and support you and your mission," Fletcher said. "These donations really help because the kids we teach need chess sets they can take home with them to practice and play with family and friends forever."

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California man uses chess to teach students how to make the right moves in life - CBS News

Wilmington's Chess on the Square makes a comeback.

After taking last year off due to COVID-19, Chess on the Square is returning to Wilmington. The tournament--while not happening in Rodney Square this year due to conflicts--is happening Saturday, September 18, 2021, outside next to BVD Barber Salon at 823 West 8th Street in the city's West Center City neighborhood.

Organizer Lisa Flowers told WDEL players of all abilities and ages are welcome.

"This is definitely an event for you if you've never played the game before. We do have sections for beginners," she said. "We have anywhere from pro to beginner's section."

Flowers said the strategy involved in chess has real-world implications that can serve as valuable lessons for children in Wilmington and everywhere.

"The strategy is to think before you move, and that's what it takes to be a good chess player. Think before you make the move," she said. "Everyday living--think before you move--it's just like us at work every day, you know you're frustrated and you write that email before you hit that send button--think before you move.

All registered participants will receive a medal to commemorate their participation, while the first and second place winners in each category will receive a trophy."It's just a day full of fun, strategizing, and positive vibes here in the city of Wilmington," said Flowers.

The tournament can accommodate up to 100 players with public health guidelines in place for the outdoor, tented event.

The free tournament runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with hot dogs and other refreshments and snacks being offered. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Players can pre-register by clicking here or by emailing chessonthesquarewilm@gmail.com, or by calling 302.420.2152. Attendees can also register on-site but must be there by 8 a.m.

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Wilmington's Chess on the Square is back | The Latest from WDEL News | wdel.com - WDEL 1150AM

Chess updates

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Garry Kasparov gave a bravura performance lastweek when thelegend, who many consider the all-time No1, shone against Americas top grandmasters, all 20 years or more his junior, at the annual $150,000 Champions Showdown.

The event at St Louis, backed by FT reader and chess benefactor Rex Sinquefield, used the Chess9XLformat(also known as Fischer Random or Chess 960)where the back rank piece array is chosen randomly at the start of the game.

Two months ago at Zagreb, Kasparov, 58, crashed in five-minute speed chess due to his poor clock management and outdated openings.

A slower time limit and the absence of book theory made all the difference as the 13th world champion, who quipped rumours of my chess death have been slightly exaggerated!, had a run of 4.5/6 in mid-tournament. This included vintage wins against the 2018 US champion Sam Shankland and the Russian star Peter Svidler.

He had chances for firstplace, but missed opportunities in the final tworounds.

Kasparov will return to both Zagreb and St Louis in 2022, so testing a theory, derived from the enduring careers of Emanuel Lasker and Viktor Korchnoi, that creative and complex play is better than a classically accurate style for sparking chess longevity.

Puzzle 2436

Jan-Krzysztof Duda vs David Arenas, online Olympiad 2021. White to move and win. Black had had a winning position until his last move Rb8-b2??(Rb8-f8! wins). How did Polands World Cup winner Duda turn the tables?

Click here for solution

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My chess death is exaggerated, says Kasparov, 58, after shining in St Louis - Financial Times

Algorand, theofficial blockchain partner ofthe2021 World Chess Championship, is holding aseries ofonline chess tournaments tocelebrate theupcoming Match. Thewinner will receive atrip andVIP entrance totheWorld Chess Championship inDubai.

Algorand, theofficial blockchain partner ofthe2021 FIDE World Championship Match, is holding aseries ofonline chess tournaments tocelebrate theupcoming Match. Thewinner oftheSeries, which takes place from September toOctober 2021, will receive afully-paid trip fortwo toDubai tovisit theWorld Chess Championship themost significant chess event ofthedecade.

Theseries leads up totheChampionship andis hosted bytheFIDE Online Arena, theofficial FIDE gaming platform. Everyone is invited tosign up andtake part intheseries. It has been developed byAlgorand togive thecrypto community andchess fans alike thechance toplay inareal chess competition, which features: challenging time controls, qualifier events, andamagnificent prize.

TheAlgorand Crypto Series consists offour qualifier tournaments andthefinal showdown, with thefirst tournament starting on September 26:

Toenter thefinal tournament, aplayer must finish inthetop five inone ofthequalifying events, so thecompetition will be fierce, butits worth it!

Theprize winner andaguest will receive a4-day trip toDubai andtickets forthefirst round oftheChampionship match. Thesecond-place andthird-place winners will receive theOfficial World Chess set andaone-year subscription totheFIDE Online Arena respectively.

Thewinners oftheSeries will be decided inthefinal on October 24, which will be broadcast live andcommentated byatop chess player.

Full tournament regulations can be found on theSeries page.

Algorand is theofficial blockchain partner oftheWorld Chess Championship andtheFIDE Online Arena, theofficial FIDE chess gaming platform. Official FIDE Online Arena ratings andtitles which are recognized byFIDE andappear on theplayers official profiles are recorded on Algorands decentralized blockchain network inreal-time, bringing reliability andtransparency totherating system ofdigital chess.

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The Winner of the Algorand Chess Tournament Will Receive a Trip to Dubai - World Chess

A POPULAR club based in Oswestry has made a return to face-to-face game nights after the pandemic.

Oswestry chess club recently reconvened at the senior citizens club in Lord Street for its first in person club night for 18 months.

During the long absence from over the board chess, members have kept themselves busy by playing in several online competitions.

Adrian Bailey, club member, said: Im thrilled to be back.

"While I have enjoyed playing online, and online competition will continue going forward, nothing beats over the board chess with real people."

At present, until it is clear what the demand will be, the club will meet fortnightly on Thursdays from 7.30pm and its next meeting is on Thursday, September 23.

New members of any age and standard are welcome to join us.

For more information, please contact club secretary Jon Smith, on 07855 093828.

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Check us out: Oswestry Chess Club makes face-to-face return after Covid - Border Counties Advertizer