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1994-01-05
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EVANS ON CHESS. July 23, 1993.
Copyright by GM Larry Evans.
A POINT OF LIGHT
The kids call her the chess lady. Her motto: "Push pawns, not drugs."
Her name is Irene Dixon Darnell. She's 73. And she's on a crusade.
After 30 years as a hotel cashier, she retired in 1985 and volunteered for the
Foster Grandparent Program. "It's a crime," she says, "all those seniors
sitting on their duff doing nothing with all their experience."
One day while serving as an aide to latchkey kids in Reno, Nevada, she brought
along a chess set to entertain a couple of five-year-olds. "They had to kneel
on chairs to reach the board, but they just took to it. Chess fascinated 'em."
It was a revelation. Soon she persuaded a school to give her 45 minutes a week
teaching kids chess. "Wow! They began beating me. We suddenly realized there
was a brain in those heads that he hadn't begun to tap into."
A breakthrough came when a high risk elementary school with problem kids let
her teach chess on Thursday mornings. Principal Ed Heywood was amazed at the
progress. He asked her to expand it to 14 classes -- about 300 kids ranging in
age from 8 to 12. "In my 17 years in education I never saw something grab hold
of so many kids and just soar," he said.
Irene agreed: "Once they learn, they're hooked. Nobody gets bored and there
are no dropouts. One girl said she didn't quite understand chess yet but knew
she'd like it once she learned it well. Now kids play during recess, in the
playgrounds, in the library, at lunch. It's crazy! They settle disputes with
chess instead of fists. And they do better in school. An 8-year-old boy said
he really couldn't get his mind going in the morning until he played a game.
"The first few sessions can be raucous, but the noise level dies down as the
kids get better. I let them talk and explain to each other what they're doing
wrong. Now it's so quiet when they play that you can hear a pawn drop.
"The kids have games going with rival schools, and they vote on the best move.
The teacher who phones it to the other teams told me, 'This is the first time
I've seen my class so serious. Chess is important to them and they enjoy it.
Every day the first thing they ask is whether the other guys sent a move yet.'
"Now we see less fights at school, and parents can't believe what chess has
done for their kids. I just trained ten teachers how to teach chess and I'm
working with ten more. My next project is to start earlier with 6 and 7 year-
olds. Someday chess will be in the curriculum."
This prediction is coming to pass. On December 24, 1992, New Jersey became the
first state to authorize chess to be taught in school. Within just two months
over 70 new school programs sprang up.
On Friday night Irene also runs a free chess club at the YWCA, and the kids
keep pouring in. "Half of them are either Hispanic, black, Asian or native
American. They have to follow rules, but learn that they can still have fun.
Just like real life," she said.
In 1992 president George Bush commended Irene as a Point of Light, and the
mayor proclaimed May 9 Reno Chess Day. "Next year I hope it falls on a weekday
so we don't have to go to school," said a kid who beat Hizzoner in a game.
(A summer rerun)