Pencilled in, perhaps, between Mathematics and English is ‘chess'. Two times a week, the timetable reveals, students at Greenwood High will stoop over little chequered boards in class, just as though they were textbooks.
The idea to include chess in the curriculum at the school, explains Manas Mehrotra, a trustee, was born out of a need to find an activity that helped overall development of children. “We had facilities for most sports,” he says, “but we wanted to see what was missing. We realised most schools didn't have chess because there simply weren't competent enough teachers.”
“It was difficult to convince them in the beginning,” Mehrotra admits. “This was an indoor activity, and kids want to be playing outdoor sports in all the free time they get.”
Over a period of time, however, after the success of a few, the game caught on. Since chess was introduced at the school seven years ago, he says, the palpable nature of its benefits has ensured that its popularity among the student body has soared.
“Their problem-solving ability improves, which shows in their Maths performances. Teachers come back to us and tell us that they see a real difference. Of course, the change is visible quickly in some kids and only after a period of time in others, but it's there.” Playing chess has also made students, according to Mehrotra, more patient. “Kids who once struggled to remain in their seats are now remarkably patient. Because when they're playing, they can't make a move unless the opponent has finished his.”
Chess is taught at the school from kindergarten to class eight, and students are graded on their performances like with any other subject.
K. Somanath, a former secretary of the Karnataka Chess Association and now one of two full-time chess instructors at the school, elaborates on the program. “When they're three years old, we can only tell them what it means and show them the pieces,” he says. “The following year, we explain the rules to them, and it is only when they're out of UKG that they start playing properly.” Aishwarya, a class eight student, has been playing chess for five years now. “I've learnt to observe and concentrate,” she says. “Today, I can't think of not playing.”
The reputation of the school's chess program, claims Mehrotra, has led to an increase in the number of admissions. “A lot of parents have enrolled their children here only because of the chess,” he says. “If we produce one National or International champion from here, our job will have been more than done.”
