by Hari Neocleous
I’m back to school this week after the mid-Autumn break. I’ve had a wonderful week off. My first task was to catch up on Judit Polgar’s Chess Connects Us Education Conference. The biggest global chess festival took place once more in Hungary. So many fabulous speakers talking about the impact chess can have on the next generation. This year the focus was decision-making. An ecletic range of speakers sharing projects and the power of chess. Topics ranged from artificial intelligence, growth mindset, chess in the early years and much more. I’ve been a teacher for a long time and I have to say there’s nothing like the creative thinkers at a chess conference!
The FIDE Education team was also in Hungary. Our very own Rita Atkins was part of the FIDE team exploring a range of problem solving tasks. It was great to see LogiqBoard worksheets in action. Look closely and you can see the ‘Balance the Scales’ task and ‘The Matrix’. Both great tasks to explore early algebraic skills. They were also solving word puzzles in Hungarian, (LogiqBoard has added several languages with more to come!) Children were collaborating, communicating ideas and having fun. (Someone I know was a little jealous 😉)
This weekend FIDE Education led their own smaller online event with a weekend of chess seminars for educators. Rita Atkins, presented a mathematics talk. We’ll be sharing some of the tasks with you in the near future. Do check out our social media accounts, lots of great resources and puzzles are posted weekly. Don’t forget to click ‘like‘ and try out the puzzles yourself. 👍
My half-term break wasn’t all work and no play. I visited the vibrant and beautiful city of Istanbul. The history, the food, the people, smells and sights blew me away, a trip that meant so much to me. The Agia Sofia, The Grand Bazaar and the little chess shops were some of the highlights. A huge thank you to Suat from Rumi handicrafts, Explore Istanbul. We entered the shop mesmerised by the beautiful rows of chess boards, trinket boxes and jewellery.
Suat invited us to play a game of chess. We could have spent our time buying handicrafts but instead we came back with a memory to treasure. A chess game with smiles, chocolate and a handshake, cok guzel indeed! Chess most definitely connects us! It’s been a while since I’ve played someone new in chess, beyond a classroom of children. It’s inspired me to seek out the social chess scene of London and I’m looking forward to it.
Below are more chess boards, this time from the Grand Bazaar and a two-floor chess shop, name to be confirmed… Maybe someone needs a chess photographer? Sunny destinations preferred. 😎
Join me next time for my 1st book review blog.
Hari x
LogiqBoard BLOG 