Chess programs in schools can be one of the most important extracurricular programs administrators can bring into a school.  It gives them important tools for developing many positive benefits for both the students and the schools.  Chess Clubs and competitive teams help bring students together for social interaction with a very diverse group of people.  Chess players come from all walks of life.  They come from every background, and country on the face of this planet.  You don't even have to speak the same language to enjoy playing a game of chess against an opponent!

     A player doesn't have to be the biggest, or the strongest, or the smartest, or the fastest, to enjoy the game and reap the many benefits playing chess gives to students with almost no effort.  It is played by both young and old alike on a field that is as level as any known to man.  It helps to foster good sportsmanship, team work, teaches about problem solving and abstract thinking.  There are many other intangibles that will make a student better at math, reading, increase attention span and patience.

     Chess programs can bring together students who might otherwise feel "left out."  Giving them a chance to find themselves, their inner confidence, and a field in which every single player can excel on an upward path.  The good work habits will help them for the rest of their lives.