In the third annual chess competition for schools in the Federal Capital, new winners emerged.
Adedoyin Olumi, chief operating officer of Christabel Private Schools, hosting the competition, said the game of chess is particularly important for students.
“Why chess? Chess is a game that helps students make decisions. It is a game that helps students who are restless or who have difficulty with their attention span to achieve calmness. It has a positive impact on the overall academic performance of students.”
Mrs Olumi said the school decided to host schools at the FCT annually so that students could meet and compete with other students from different schools to improve their knowledge of the game.
“It is important for students to meet with other students to be confident in their knowledge of the game and to learn from others.”
The principal also highlighted that the school is working on other projects, such as Mathematics and ICT, including how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be explored in schools.
“The school is also investigating other areas of interest that can improve students' academic performance. We focus on ICT and mathematics. When we see students beginning to show distinctive performance in mathematics, as a school we need to intervene and ensure that enthusiasm and passion are nurtured and directed to produce optimal benefit.
Article page with financial support promotion
“Mathematics is very important, even abroad. Students are offered admission because they are good at mathematics. When a student is good at mathematics and begins to develop confidence in that sense, there is a tendency to improve in other subjects.”
The schools talk
Ochuwa Ojukwu, a staff member at Thrive Academy, Lugbe, said chess promotes critical thinking and exposure to school pupils is key, meeting other people and mingling. Basically, we know that chess helps children think strategically. It helps in calculation and even your math skills. This is the second time we have come to this competition. We were here last year. Attending these types of competitions helps increase students' confidence. It gives them more confidence to dive into more important things. See his excitement for having won in one of the rounds.
“We treat chess as a subject in our school. Learning chess is mandatory for all students, from primary to secondary school. This started about two years/sessions ago. Since then there has been a huge improvement in student performance. We hope to attend more competitions of this type and other larger ones.”
Erastus Itwange, chess coach at Divine Mercy Asokoro Secondary School, said: “Over time, we have seen that the game helps students, especially in science, develop their potential, thinking ability and problem-solving skills. .
“They are able to solve these problems before their counterparts. Those are some of the benefits of play, especially in science. Chess puts students in a position where they can think outside the box; They can address and solve problems related to their STEM subjects, which would be mathematics, physics and chemistry, since most of them involve problem solving.”
On the importance of competing with other students, Mr Itwange said: “It is like you are wrapped in a box. When someone tells you that there is light outside, you doubt it until the box is opened. Then, you will know that there is more for you that is yet to be discovered. Completing chess exposes students to really seeing where they are and then knowing if they are improving.
“We have taken chess seriously in the last three years. We offer it as a club at school. At this time, we allow students to choose whether to play it or not. It is an extracurricular activity. Even for sciences, it is not mandatory. In comparison, I can tell you that those who play chess stand out.
“I plan to speak to parents at the end of this term. For now it is operational in the secondary school. I would enlighten them about the benefits of chess so that interested parents can participate,” he said.
Divine Mercy High School Principal Jeremiah Onolemhemhen, who was among the players in the competition, said he sees chess as a challenging game through which he can reach his full potential.
“I started playing chess when I entered Secondary School, in JSS 1. That was about five years ago. Since then I have been in the chess club. I feel like I have an advantage over some students who don't play chess. Some of them feel that it is a boring game. My advice is to not see it just as a board. It's more than that.”
Winners
This year about 15 schools attended the contest. The top three in the primary category are Christabel Schools, Vine Care and Thrive Academy. On the contrary, the top three in the secondary category are Christabel College, Premier Academy (Lugbe) and Hephzibah Bilingual College.
Kelvin Ojo and Ekom Awesome of Christabel Schools tied as winners of the Best Boys' Primary, while Biyaya Abu of Degracia Model School won the Gest Girls' Primary.
For the secondary category, Charles Oro of Christabel College won the award for Best School for Boys, while Elizabeth of Degracia Model Schools and Goodness of Thrive Academy tied for the award for Best School for Girls.
Trophies, medals and prizes were awarded to the winners.
READ ALSO: Nigerian Chess Master Onakoya Launches Chess Innovation Hub in Lagos Chess
Chess is one of the oldest and most popular board games. It is usually played by two opponents on a chessboard with specially designed pieces of contrasting colors, commonly black and white. The objective of the game is to capture the opponent's king.
By playing chess, the brain will be challenged to exercise logic, develop pattern recognition, make decisions both visually and analytically, and test memory. Anyone of any age can enjoy chess. As a result, these brain exercises can be part of your lifelong brain health.
Aside from its educational advantages, chess has other benefits. It opens doors of opportunity for fantastic players. Tunde Onakoya is a Nigerian chess player and coach who holds the Guinness World Record for the longest marathon chess game. As founder and coordinator of Chess in Slums Africa, he has organized several interventions for children in slums in Lagos State including Majidun, Makoko and recently Oshodi.
About the host
Established in 1999, the pageant headquarters, Christabel Schools, Wuye, Abuja, is a private school that exists to provide a solid start and excellent foundation for all children. The school is known for its unmistakable culture of excellence, character development, extraordinary care and possibility.