The Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association is the provincial branch of the Chess'n Math Association, Canada's national scholastic chess organization (http://chess-math.org). We are a non-profit organization consiting entirely of volunteers who dedicate some of their time to ensure that students in Manitoba have an opportunity to play chess. We have been operating here in Manitoba for the past 23 years.
The Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association is run and organized by Jeremie Piché, Peter Henson, and Gilles Piché. Peter and Gilles have been running monthly chess tournaments for students (kindergarten to grade 12) for the past 14 years. Winnipeg was the site of the Canadian Chess Challenge National finals in 1998 and again in 2004. Both Peter and Gilles were heavily involved in organizing both events and in making both Manitoba hosted national Finals among the best ever. Jeremie has participated in the monthly chess tournaments while he was in school and qualified for the Canadian Chess Challenge national finals in Calgary in 2000. He now helps to run the organization.
The mandate of the Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association is to improve student's academic and life skills by getting as many students as we can to play chess. We believe strongly in the value of chess as a learning aid for children. Chess has been proven to enhance concentration, patience, problem solving, critical thinking, memory, creativity, and visualization skills. It is an excellent tool that will allow children to develop many skills that will naturally carry over into other areas of life and will be of use for students no matter what vocation they should choose.
Every year, the Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association is responsable for sending a team of students to the National Chess Tournament. In March 2011, we will be organizing Provincial tournaments played by grade (grade 1's play against grade 1's, grade 12's play against grade 12's etc). The winners in each grade will represent Manitoba at the national tournament in Victoria, British Columbia during the May long weekend of 2011. If you would like more information, or are interested in registering for the Provincial tournament, contact Jeremie Piché at (204) 237-1497 or by e-mail: jeremie.piche@scholasticchess.mb.ca.
If you do not currently have a chess club at your school in Manitoba, the Manitoba Scholastic Chess Association can help you get one started. We are willing to provide your school with a starter kit that would show you how to get a chess club underway.
