Why Your Child Should
Learn To Play Chess

Chess has commonly been considered an elite pastime, the ancient 'game of kings’ but in fact has a vast and wide following that includes Madonna, Britney Spears, Lennox Lewis and Jude Law. Inexpensive, portable, and easy to learn, chess knows no bounds of age, gender, class, nationality or even ability. Novices can play experts. Children can play siblings, parents, grandparents or each other.

Already played by an estimated 4 million people in the UK, chess gained official status as a sport following a change in UK law in December 2006.

Chess also improves children’s developmental and academic performance, by enhancing learning strategies and literacy, comprehension and arithmetic skills, social behaviour, personal growth, decoding, thinking, comprehension, analysis and problem-solving skills.

Another well-known chess player is of course Harry Potter, and now Harry Potter Chess, The Step-by-Step Manual is on sale. Published weekly this players’ guide is accompanied by a piece of the chess set, building into a interactive replica of the final chess battle scene in the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Each of the chess pieces is modelled on the life-size pieces featured in the film. The board becomes a battlefield and the players are the generals, deploying their troops and using all their skill, strength and stamina to find a winning strategy to wipe out the opposing army, capture the enemy King and shout, ‘Checkmate!’ Published by De Agostini, the manual is divided into two sections, for both beginners (Level One: Chess Apprentice) and more experienced players (Level Two: Chess Challenger), for ages 6+.

Gerry Walsh, President of the English Chess Federation comments ‘When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone first opened in cinemas, we received a phenomenal number of new enquiries from children wanting to know where they could learn to play chess. We hope that The Harry Potter Chess Manual will be instrumental in introducing the game to many more.'

If you would like to find out more about playing chess visit the English Chess Federation, Chess Scotland, the Irish Chess Union the Ulster Chess Union or the Welsh Chess Union

The Harry Potter Chess Manual will be sold in over 34,000 retail outlets across the UK and Republic of Ireland and via direct subscriptions at www.deagostini.co.uk.

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