West Patent Elementary learns chess moves

West Patent Elementary School students have been learning about chess from two respected chess instructors, Benjamin Gershenov (a national master and five-time national champion) and Felix Lopez (a U.S. Chess Federation rated chess expert with more than 30 years of teaching experience). The pair will return in the spring to lead enrichment clubs.

During three sessions, the chess experts taught students about how the pieces are set up, moved, and played as well as a special move called castling, which allows you to move the king and rook at once. Older students also got a strategy lesson.