Using Chess in a

Counseling/Mentoring
Approach for Students
Fernando Moreno
MCPS School Counselor
morenofe@aol.com

Chess in the Schools and Communities

International Conference
University of Aberdeen
Kings College Conference Centre
August 30th - September 1st 2007
CHESS
Chess
Helps
Every
Student
Succeed
 Purpose
• This presentation describes the value of using
chess as a key component during a
mentoring/counseling relationship
• Adult mentors and Peer High School mentors
develop successful relationships with their
mentees using the chess game as a metaphor
for life situations
• This presentation explains how chess is used
to address the social emotional needs of
students
 This approach has been
implemented in different
public schools in
Montgomery County,
Maryland, USA

It is currently being
implemented at
Broad Acres ES
Rationale
 Peer Mentor/Chess Club
High School students are selected to
be Peer Mentor Volunteers. They
teach and conduct activities in
Elementary School Chess Club.
They earn community services hours
required for graduation.
This activity will provide an
opportunity to develop language
skills, social skills and chess skills.
 Mentor Relationship
• All students benefit by having a mentor, however,
this is an unrealistic expectation because there are
not enough mentors for all students in a particular
school. Therefore, at-risk students are matched with
mentors.
• These mentors are from different backgrounds and
expertises.
• These mentors encourage students to work hard in
school and build positive relationships. They also
model behaviour, guide careers and in general help
mentees to better understand life situations.
 Why Chess?
• Chess is ideal for teaching us that although
we may come from various backgrounds,
socio-economic statuses and even
languages: our minds can work in similar
ways when trying to reach a goal.
 Using chess…
Chess is a great tool for building positive
relationships. Chess is an international language
that can produce meaningful interactions. Chess
facilitates discussions about life. When playing
chess students gain insight into the decision-
making process. They experience the positive or
negative consequences of their own decisions.
 Teaching Chess
• Many times the mentor must teach the game of
chess because the mentee does not know how to
play.
• This is done one piece at the time with the use
of puzzles, games and life discussions with one
piece or more pieces.
• After the mentee masters all the chess moves
and rules, the game is played.
 Dialogue Journals
• The key component in the mentoring
relationship is the use of Dialogue
Journals.
• Also, along with the writing a chess game is
played. We paste a corresponding chess board
at the end of the notebook and the mentee and
mentor move their chess pieces and write
their chess moves.
 Correspondence chess game
While they are answering writing
questions in the Journal, the mentor and
mentee play a game of chess.
(correspondence chess).
 Mentees are not necessarily
always ready to talk about their
difficulties, and share feelings.
But, when they are playing chess,
rapport is established in a non-
threatening way.
 Once involved in the game, the
pieces become”concrete
manipulatives” with which
mentees can discuss their
problems with their mentors and
find alternatives and/or solutions.
This mentor-mentee relationship
has to be developed at the right
speed. If you try to ask personal
questions too soon before the
rapport has been established the
mentee may not respond. But if
you have developed trust the the
personal sharing will come
naturally.
 Life Skills
Trough Chess

Chess pieces
are used as
metaphors
for life
situations.
A variety of specific chess
positions correlated to
social situations will be
presented in my
presentation called :
“Teaching Life Skills
Through Chess”.
 Conflict resolution/fight
It is White’s turn to move. The Black pawn just moved
forward. What would you do?

If the white pawn moves forward,

nobody can stop it. It will be
promoted to a Queen and later the
black King will be checkmated.
But, if white captures black ,
the other black pawn will capture white
and nobody will win. It will be a
draw.

Advice for Life: When somebody challenges you, bothers you

or steps into your space, your first reaction may be to bother or fight
them back. Is it the best decision? It might be best to think before you
move, focus on your goal and move away from trouble.
Fighting does not solve anything, nobody wins
 Dialogue Journals
• Using Journal writing is a great way to interact
with your mentee and develop a personal contact.
• Each mentor should decide the frequency of the
entries in the journal. For some of the students
once a week could be enough, others might like to
do more or less entries. For some students, I
suggest the use of pictures, drawings, word games
along with conventional writing…etc
 During the chess game in the Journal

• Mentor creates specific chess puzzles and

relates them with their life issues.
• Teaches specific chess skills, as well as
presents interesting history, pictures and
articles about chess.

Past student’s journals for display are available for the audience to see.
 Dialogue Journals guide
open ended discussion about life issues:
Here is a list of suggested questions for you to use them with your students
• What was the best thing that happened to you today?
• What does success mean to you?
• What makes you scared?
• What do you remember about your first day at school?
• What three things make a person popular in your school?
• What makes you laugh?
• Why do you think some kids/adults dress differently?
• What makes you angry?
• Where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world? Why?
• What’s a skill you wish you had? Why?
• What one thing would you do to make the world more peaceful?
• If you could go back in time and live in any era, what would it be? Why?
• Do you like being challenged? How?
• If you could write a book, what kind of book would it be?
• Do you learn more when you win or when you lose?

Make time to Listen/ Take Time to Talk is an interactive conversation starters produced by the US Department of Health and Human services
•
Students’
“I like to play chess because
Comments
I have to think and it is not
boring”
• “I learned that you must
think before you move”
• “I want to be successful and
it is fun”
• “This is not just a game, it is
a learning and thinking
game”
• “I like to learn new things”
• “It’s all about making the
right move”
 Prompt
( Write a paragraph to describe a person
who was very helpful to you in elementary school)

“The very helpful person that I

choose is Mr. Moreno our
school counselor.
I chose him because when I have a
problem he tells me what I
should do so I could solve my
problem.
Mr. Moreno teaches how to play
chess and he compares chess to
real life for example how to
make good choices”
By Jesus Gutierrez (5th grade ESOL student).
 EVALUATION

• 95% of students liked the

program and recommended it.
 EVALUATION

Teachers agreed that through the

game of Chess, their students
have increased their social
skills.
“…I had the opportunity to observe Fernando
Moreno "in action" during a lunch time session
of “Chess for Success” for 5th grade Hispanic
boys at Forest Knolls. It was exciting to see how
Fernando uses the game of chess to build
essential skills such as conflict resolution,
decision making, and goal setting. Through his
energy and enthusiasm, he seamlessly moves
between specific instruction in chess concepts
and life skills. The students, regardless of their
proficiency in English, are engaged in the
lessons and eager to respond to his instructions.
Mrs. Starke, Principal at Forest Knolls ES
• The Postal chess player wins his first game.