Academic Chess provides elementary & high school students from diverse communities across the city with an opportunity to participate in vibrant chess programs. The CPS Academic chess students participate in after-schools clubs and compete in tournaments throughout the year. Tournaments include the CPS Academic Chess City play-offs, City Championship, State and National tournaments.
We have been able to grow chess in CPS schools from less than 20 schools serving under 300 students into a thriving program that teaches chess after school at 88 elementary, middle, and high schools across the city. Annually, 1200+ students have the opportunity to learn, play, and compete in chess at no cost.
The administration of chess in CPS switched to Academic Competition Department in 2017 and was renamed Academic Chess. Today, Academic Chess provides schools with a generous coaches stipend, organizes 6 tournaments during the chess season, provides breakfast and lunch at the tournaments as well as busing to the tournaments, and takes students to outside tournaments including the Greater Chicago Championship, the All-Girls National Championship, and the grade level National Championships.
Many of the Academic Chess Programs at schools offer tiered coaching, in which instruction is offered at multiple levels of difficulty. The expansion of the Academic Chess Program along with expanded coaching has contributed to the competitive excellence seen CPS schools at local, state and national competitions. Schools such as Earle Stem have won first place at national competition. And the powerhouse chess team at Whitney Young High School places in the top 3 high schools in chess competitions across the nation year after year.
We know that chess teaches children important academic & life skills. Interested in having your school participate in the Academic Chess Program? Contact us by email at daheiser@cps.edu.
Benefits
Chess levels the playing field. Age, gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and spoken language are irrelevant factors when playing chess. The game of chess has proven to provide many academic and social benefits to include:
- Improved memory
- Increased creativity
- Develops self-esteem
- Teaches Sportsmanship
- Enhance decision making
- Improved reading & math skills
- Encourages and promotes pattern recognition
- Develops critical and analytical thinking skills
- Enhances logical deductive reasoning to solve problems
- Provide fun, rewarding, and safe out of school time activities
