Warrington South MP David Mowat is urging more children to enjoy the benefits of chess after going head-to-head against the world’s greatest ever player Garry Kasparov at the House of Lords.
Mr Mowat MP joined three other members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Chess on Monday for a specially arranged simultaneous display against the former world No.1 as part of this week’s 6th London Chess Classic.
And it was not just Mr Mowat MP and his colleagues looking to get the better of Kasparov with four pupils from London schools leading the charge for the younger generation.
Recent surveys by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) found pupils as young as seven should be given compulsory lessons in chess amid claims it boosts concentration levels, numeracy and reading comprehension.
And Mr Mowat MP, who was unable to record a famous win over Kasparov, is keen on seeing more children get involved.
THE ‘NOBLE’ GAME: Mr Mowat didn’t manage to defeat chess’ ‘greatest ever’ player Garry Kasparov
“I’ve played chess for 50 years really, I reached a club standard so it was great to be able come up against Garry and also it was great for the children,” he said.
“Seeing young children play chess, there’s an element in this country that chess has got less popular than it should be and it shouldn’t be like that. It’s about getting the next generation through.
“For children, I think it creates independent thought, self confidence, self esteem, it’s a noble type of game. You either win or you lose. It’s rigorous and creative.
“I’d love to see chess one day on the curriculum. The CSC is doing a great job, we’re trying to get them to come to some schools in our constituency so that will be good.
“Whenever I visit a school I always ask if there is a chess club.”
Research has shown that chess – which is already part of the curriculum in some nations – can dramatically improve pupils’ levels of concentration, boost problem-solving skills and develop their thought processes.
And Kasparov, who became the youngest ever undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at the age of 22 and was ranked world No. 1 for 225 out of 228 months, believes the efforts of Mr Mowat MP and organisations such as the CSC show how important chess can be.
“This is a great initiative and I have been promoting this idea of having chess as part of the education system around the world,” said the Russian.
“And I am very happy to see the success Chess in Schools and Communities has had so far because it just shows that everyone can see the benefits – parents, headmasters, students and eventually the overall public.
“The benefits of kids playing chess at an early age is quite obvious, it improves their communicative skills, it helps them to appreciate the big picture, to see the outcomes of their actions, they can recognise patterns.”
