Armenia breeds a generation of chess whizz kids: BBC

PanARMENIAN.Net - Since 2011, all children in Armenia from six to eight years old have had compulsory chess lessons. For one boy it's paying off, reports the BBC's Emma Levine in a fresh article.

"I was trapped. Surrounded on all sides, and there was no escape. The king's capture was imminent - and my bishop was of no use this time. "Shakh yev mat," Mikhael announced triumphantly. Check mate - and my victor was just 11 years old," Levine says.

"It wasn't surprising - a few days earlier Mikhael had been crowned the national schools' chess champion, adding to his other trophies."

He'd been playing since he was five.

One of his heroes is compatriot Levon Aronian. This charismatic 35-year-old, one of Armenia's many grandmasters, was once number two in the world - a superstar and national hero in a country not accustomed to sporting success.

"To see more young stars I head to Chess House on a packed marshrutka - or minibus," Levine says.

"The room is silent, the children's behaviour impeccable, with no tantrums or raised voices. All look utterly immersed in the games - which last up to two hours - their faces wearing the serious expressions of professionals. The children record every move in their notebooks.

"Downstairs in the waiting area, scores of parents, grandmothers and a few uncles wait patiently for the children to emerge from the hall, once their matches are over. You can feel tension mounting as each one walks slowly down the carpeted steps to greet their mum. Win lose, or draw, each gets a hug.

Armenia now has more than 3,000 qualified trained chess teachers in its schools. Many other countries want to follow suit, according to Smbat Lputian, president of the Armenian Chess Academy. He excitedly revealed about a new chess scientific research institute, due to open in Yerevan later this year, where scientists and psychologists will research the impact of chess in the learning process.

"Through their dedication, Mikhael and thousands more children here have helped put Armenia on the chess-playing map. And at least I can console myself that I was beaten by a potential grandmaster," the author says.