GCF should be commended for chess-in-schools programme

Ronan Lee

The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) has launched a free online Chess-in-Schools programme in partnership with ChessKid.com, one of the foremost chess websites worldwide. Chess.com, the parent Company of ChessKid.com, hosted the 2020 FIDE Online Chess Olympiad last month.

The purpose of the Chess-in-Schools programme is to teach children about creativity, tactics, strategies, perseverance and calculated risk-taking which they can access throughout their lifetimes. Once children sign up, a variety of learning tools would be made available to them. ChessKid.com boasts a fully curated curriculum, video content and a level progression system. The site is designed as an educational tool to make learning chess fun.  One of the children who has demonstrated an interest in the ChessKid programme is Ronan Lee, a third form student of Marian Academy. He is known within the chess fraternity since he participated at the national level and represented Guyana at the 2018 Carifta games in Suriname, FIDE Americas Cup in Barbados (2019) and the St Lucia Chess Classic in 2019 where he won the title of Under-20 champion.