Enthusiastic chess players from a Cardiff primary school have had the opportunity to pit their new found skills against the best in the game.
Pupils from St Paul’s Church in Wales Primary School in Grangetown have visited the House of Commons to meet Grand Master Nigel Short and former World Champion, Grand Master Gary Kasparov as part of a celebration to mark the first anniversary of charity, Chess in Schools and Communities.
The four Cardiff youngsters had a fantastic day in Westminster and even had the opportunity to go head to head with Nigel Short.
Chess was introduced in St Paul’s Primary early last year and since then, the school has had a marked improvement in the behaviour and concentration of pupils. There are now around 70 children regularly playing chess at the school.
Chess in Schools and Communities is a charity which aims to improve educational outcomes and foster children’s social development by introducing them to chess.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “It’s great to hear of St Paul’s Primary pupils’ enthusiasm for chess which studies have shown can have a beneficial effect on children’s education from concentration, planning and strategic thinking.
“It was a real treat for the youngsters to travel to London and meet such giants of the game as Gary Kasparov and Nigel Short which I’m sure will be a great encouragement for them to keep going forward to improve their skills.” St Paul’s headteacher, Susan Jones, said: “It has been a pleasure to watch the children from six to 11-years-old enjoying playing chess, becoming more confident in their ability, developing their concentration skills and social skills and experiencing competitions all over South Wales. We are very proud of our children and the way that they are representing the school at a national level.”
