 
 
Q&A -- Chess teacher at Acton Council on Aging 
By Margaret Smith
Wicked Local Acton 
Posted Feb 06, 2013 @ 11:18 PM   
Acton, Mass. — Ken LeBow began playing chess in high school, but believes the game is for  lifelong learners. LeBow, a member of the United States Chess Federation since  1968, is teaching beginner and advanced classes at the Acton Council on  Aging.
 He recently shared his thoughts on trends at the game, and on the COA  classes, and the joys and challenges chess has brought to his life.
  
 How and when did you get interested in  chess? 
 I started in high school -- our team won the state championship -- and  played actively in college and until age 30, and then played almost no chess  until age 65!) Had four games published in the Boston Globe and New York Times,  but all except one were losses!
  
Please tell me about the classes and chess club you are holding at  the Acton Council on Aging, when and where they happen and who is eligible to  participate. 
 A 10-week chess class for beginners meets Thursdays from 1 to 2 p.m. in the  Acton Council on Aging cafeteria. The first three lessons cover how the pieces  move and different types of checkmate.
 For each of the next seven lessons, we spend half the time learning a chess  strategy and half the time playing chess.
 After the class, a chess club for more experienced players meets from 2 to  4:30 p.m.
 Anyone eligible for the Acton Council on Aging is welcome to join the chess  class or chess club -- the more the better!  Beginners will want to wait  until the next set of classes begins [a date has not yet been announced.]
  
Historically chess has been a male-dominated event but in recent  years more women and girls have joined. How do you see this trend playing out in  your chess circles? 
 The future of chess is very bright. It is becoming very popular with young  children and it is likely that it will eventually be part of the school  curriculum, since it is helps build the skills for success in other studies.  About five colleges now offer full-time scholarships for strong chess  players.
 Girls are also playing chess much more than they did in the past. Over the  past three years, I taught about 100 school-age children in voluntary programs  and about half were girls. At one school, we had an all-girls chess team!
 At the highest levels, several women  -- most notably the Polgar  sisters from Hungary [Susan, Sofia and Judit Polgar]  -- have competed  successfully against the best male players in the world. I believe that this  trend will continue.
Read more:  
Q&A -- Chess teacher at Acton Council on Aging - Acton, MA - The Beacon http://www.wickedlocal.com/acton/features/x171143550/Q-A-Chess-teacher-at-Acton-Council-on-Aging#ixzz2KNMmr94SChess Daily News from Susan Polgar
  			                                                                        
No comments:
Post a Comment