GNKCA School of Chess Zimbabwe Aims High!
The GNKCA School of Chess is aiming at building a solid foundation in the area of junior chess development in Zimbabwe. We aim to identify and nurture a pool of talented young chess players and thus give birth to strong and reliable players at the national level in future. Your support as chess players, non chess players and the corporate world to help this GNKCA initiative is greatly appreciated. Located at New Africa House, 3rd floor along Kwame Nkrumah Ave in Harare CBD, the Chess School plans to venture into Schools and offer chess lessons to various students as part of its long term strategy to develop chess in Zimbabwe. This ‘Chess in Schools’ concept is a world- wide initiative used in many countries to build a solid foundation in junior chess development.
On a different note, I came across a very nice article by Benjamin Franklin, written about 1750. I believe you will enjoy it! It is reassuring to see that nothing has changed in 260 years! By the way, Franklin was a devoted amateur. I understand he used to play with George Washington, among others. So there are two chess players who made it onto U.S. banknotes.
Best,
John Chibvuri
GNKCA Founder
Contacts : John Chibvuri +263 773 927 141
Email: jchibvuri2011
Facebook: John Chibvuri
Tribbie Motsi: +263 772 708 947
New Africa House, 3rd Floor Suite 34, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, between L.Takawira & J.Nyerere. (Same building with New Start Centre).
THE MORALS OF CHESS
By Dr. Benjamin Franklin
The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it. By playing Chess then, we may learn:
1st, Foresight, which looks a little into futurity and considers the consequences that may attend an action; for it is continually occurring to the player, “If I move this Piece, what will be the advantage or disadvantage of my new situation? What use can my adversary make of it to annoy me? What other moves can I make to support it, and to defend myself from his attacks?”
2d, Circumspection, which surveys the whole Chess-board, or scene of action: – the relation of the several Pieces, and their situations; the dangers they are repeatedly exposed to; the several possibilities of their aiding each other; the probabilities that the adversary may make this or that move, and attack this or that Piece; and what different means can be used to avoid his stroke, or turn its consequences against him.
3d, Caution, not to make our moves too hastily. This habit is best acquired by observing strictly the laws of the game; such as, if you touch a piece, you must move it somewhere; if you set it down, you must let it stand.
Therefore, it would be the better way to observe these rules, as the game becomes thereby more the image of human life, and particularly of war; in which if you have incautiously put yourself into a bad and dangerous position, you cannot obtain your enemy’s leave to withdraw your troops, and place them more securely, but you must abide by all the consequently of your rashness.
And lastly, We learn by Chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs;
And lastly, We learn by Chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs; the habit of hoping for a favourable chance, and that of persevering in the search of resources. The game is so full of events, there is such a variety of turns in it, the fortune of it is so subject to vicissitudes, and one so frequently, after contemplation, discovers the means of extricating one’s self from a supposed insurmountable difficulty, that one is encouraged to continue the contest to the last, in hopes of victory from our skill; or, at least, from the negligence of our adversary: and whoever considers, what in Chess he often sees instances of , that success is apt to produce presumption and its consequent inattention, by which more is afterwards lost than was gained by the preceding advantage, while misfortunes produce more care and attention, by which the loss may be recovered, will learn not to be too much discouraged by any present successes of his adversary, nor to despair of final good fortune upon every little check he receives in the pursuit of it.
