2020 EDUCATION MAGAZINE

Page 20 2020 Education Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS FEBRUARY 20, 2020 Having recently finished Sectionals, Hieronymous said they missed the state competition by just one spot. At one recent competition, they narrowly missed beating Normal West, a much bigger school. Over the season, the High School Chess Club also competed against Jacksonville, Olympia and Lincoln. In the Illini Classic Tournament, Hartem competed against Normal West, Lincoln, Metamora and Morton. To get to the tournament, the Chess Club had to play in at least six matches. In a tournament, Hieronymous explained, there is an elaborate system of scoring: 68 points are possible, with 34.5 required to win. And, after the first round the losing teams play each other. The success of the Hartem Chess Clubs is viewed as remarkable because many of the players were new to the game. Hieronymous said the new students quickly became proficient at chess. Some had been in a game clubs in past years, but Hieronymous said it was a big step up to play at competitions. When they played against much bigger schools, the Hartsburg Emden students held their own. For instance, they had a close match against Normal West, scoring 23 points. How chess complements academic success Playing chess has been shown to increase students’ academic achievement. Hieronymous reports that of the high school chess players, many also participated on the Varsity Scholar Bowl Team and four junior high players were on the Junior Varsity Scholar Bowl Team. On the U.S. Chess Trust website it says, “[m]ore and more scientific studies have confirmed that children who are taught chess, in addition to their regular courses, do better in school. Studies report that chess helps develop valuable reading and decision- making skills and improves students’ ability to concentrate.” Hieronymous said playing a 55 minute game helps students develop better concentration, and students often concentrate better in a two- hour game than they do during their classes. The quiet atmosphere at matches helps with needed concentration. Another skill chess players develop is visual memory, which Hieronymous said is important because it helps players recognize patterns. A player may say, “I have seen this before and I know where it goes.” Analysis Continued p