Why chess deserves a place in schools | Jonathan Calder | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Why chess deserves a place in schools | Jonathan Calder | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

In Armenia all six-year-olds study chess; in UK schools it 'fell off a cliff' in the 1980s. But its educational benefits are plentiful

Primary school children in Armenia have more to contend with than just the three Rs. From the age of six, they all study chess as a separate subject for two hours a week. Chess is important to the very identity of this landlocked little country.