Spurred on by the intellectual challenge and enjoyment of the game, more young children in Singapore are picking up chess.
SINGAPORE: A chess game may seem still and silent from the outside, but when nine-year-old Alesa Wong is battling an opponent for control of the board, her mind fills with “blasting colours”.
A record 1,365 players competed in the 74th National Schools Individual Chess Championship in March. There could have been more, but some would-be competitors were turned away as the venue was not big enough. Nine-year-old Alesa Wong started playing chess at seven and is a member of the national training programme for young chess players.
The federation is the principal authority over all chess events in the country, and a member of the Singapore National Olympic Council and Singapore Sports Council. “It’s important to make sure that learning chess is a fun process, or else it becomes a lot like school. We shouldn’t make chess like a textbook,” said Mr Goh.
Despite their talent, the kids must also learn how to cope with failure and disappointment. They each have their own ways – Alesa practises meditation, for example. Kent Ridge Secondary School’s chess club started out as an informal interest group formed by a few teachers and students in 2021. Mr Goh, 40, became a grandmaster in 2020. At the time, he was only the third Singaporean to reach the highest title that a chess player can attain. Titles are awarded by the International Chess Federation and held for life.
The game strikes a personal chord – as a young boy, he played chess when he could have “easily made the wrong type of friends” and been involved in gangs. “Chess encourages and rewards hard work,” he said. Playing a standard chess game also requires concentrating for three to four hours at a stretch – a skill that Mr Tan said helped when studying for exams.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Lawrence Wong on US-China rivalry: Singapore does not choose countries, we chose principles - Singapore News“... one key principle is that of territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the freedom for countries not to be attacked by others as enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” he added
Read more »
Unleash The Roar: National effort to rejuvenate Singapore’s football focusing on youth - Singapore NewsDespite the current situation, former Singapore national footballer Aide Iskandar believes there is still hope for Singapore’s football to regain its footing
Read more »
Travel: Tourism is bright spot and saving grace where Singapore’s economy is concerned - Singapore NewsThis growth is also due to a strong recovery in international visitor arrivals
Read more »
Young motorcyclist loses his life after crashing into bus and lorry near CHIJMES - Singapore NewsThe circumstances of how the accident took place remain unclear
Read more »
Highest paying jobs in Singapore 2023: Which industries pay 6-figure salaries?I firmly believe that comparing ourselves to others is a pointless endeavour. Only tiger parents engage in that kind of toxic exercise. Yet here I am, writing this article about the highest-paying jobs in Singapore, one that is sure to give you a moment of panic…unless yours appears on the list. That said, you don’t have to give up on...
Read more »
Commentary: For Singapore’s sake, we need a contest in the presidential electionA Presidential Election contest between a candidate who has links to the ruling party and one who does not will be win-win for all in Singapore, says former veteran newspaper editor Han Fook Kwang.
Read more »