Several Duke physicians and their children gathered in Dallas this past weekend for the National Elementary Chess Tournament sponsored by USCF.
The mental training of strategy, pattern recognition, and an ability to understand a move's consequences several steps ahead is much like the training we've done as physicians. No one is born a genius. It takes a lot of practice to learn the art of chess and, as in life, along the way we sometimes make mistakes (or blunders as they are known in the chess world). And how we respond to losing is an extremely important life lesson: get up, dust yourself off, learn from your mistake and try again.
The kids play 7 games over 3 days each, divided by grade from kindergarten to 6th grade into large ballrooms. After each game, the child goes over his or her game with our school coach, Craig Jones. Coach Jones has a great combination of part storyteller, where he regales us with his incredible fund of chess knowledge, and part detective, helping a child analyze and defend the moves he made, very reminiscent of morning rounds with the attending. I'm amazed at how much these children know and how quickly their brains can process, much faster than me as I try to keep up with the analysis.
I try to walk the fine line between not being a tiger mom but also ensuring that my children excel to the best of their abilities. Being here surrounded by 2000 kids ages 5-12 reminds me that as smart as they all are, they are still kids.
Some hug their stuffed animals after defeat; they strike up quick friendships as they play ball on the hotel lawn or swim in the pool.
And they still want to know when are they eating next.
Several Duke physicians and their children gathered in Dallas this past weekend for the National Elementary Chess Tournament sponsored by USCF.
The mental training of strategy, pattern recognition, and an ability to understand a move's consequences several steps ahead is much like the training we've done as physicians. No one is born a genius. It takes a lot of practice to learn the art of chess and, as in life, along the way we sometimes make mistakes (or blunders as they are known in the chess world). And how we respond to losing is an extremely important life lesson: get up, dust yourself off, learn from your mistake and try again.
The kids play 7 games over 3 days each, divided by grade from kindergarten to 6th grade into large ballrooms. After each game, the child goes over his or her game with our school coach, Craig Jones. Coach Jones has a great combination of part storyteller, where he regales us with his incredible fund of chess knowledge, and part detective, helping a child analyze and defend the moves he made, very reminiscent of morning rounds with the attending. I'm amazed at how much these children know and how quickly their brains can process, much faster than me as I try to keep up with the analysis.
I try to walk the fine line between not being a tiger mom but also ensuring that my children excel to the best of their abilities. Being here surrounded by 2000 kids ages 5-12 reminds me that as smart as they all are, they are still kids.
Some hug their stuffed animals after defeat; they strike up quick friendships as they play ball on the hotel lawn or swim in the pool.
And they still want to know when are they eating next.