FOR RELEASE: week of Aug. 13, 2007

Contact:

Michael Bowden

631 Cowboys Pkwy #1019

Irving, TX 75064

[email protected]

          (Irving, TX) Thursday, August 16^th teachers and principals representing 36 of  Lewisville I.S.D.’s campuses will attend a program presented by Michael Khodarkovsky of the Kasparov Chess Foundation.

            Kids playing chess at school is nothing new, the widespread examination of chess as a serious pedagogical tool is a first for a school district in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. L.I.S.D. is taking a very serious look at the merits of supporting scholastic chess. Additional experts in the topic will make presentations, including Jim Stallings, UTDallas chess team director, Dr. Alexey Root, 1989 U.S. Women’s Chess Champion, expert in the TEKS and chess at UTDallas, and Jerry Nash, scholastic chess director of the U.S. Chess Federation. In case Michael Khodarkovsky’s name isn’t familiar, he was adviser to former World Champion and foundation benefactor, Gary Kasparov.

            “This is a unique program for teachers who may have no chess knowledge,” states Dr. Penny Reddell, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Services. “Attendees will leave the program feeling empowered to use chess as an integral tool as a supplement to traditional math instruction. Our goal is the chess clubs, held before or after school, would extend learning by purposefully connecting chess and student ability to focus thought, develop dynamic problem solving ability, improve anticipation of outcomes and enhance logical thinking.”

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The United States Chess Federation (USCF), founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is now headquartered in Crossville, Tennessee. USCF is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with over 80,000 members. For additional information on the USCF see: http://www.uschess.org.