As the chess wave continues to sweep the American heartland, Detroit is the latest beneficiary of  a positive attraction to the game. While Chicago is known for the Chicago Open,  Kansas has become known for hosting successful tournaments in Linsborg. Minnesota will be hosting the HB Global Chess Challenge, but Detroit is putting their city on the map with the Detroit City Chess Club (DCCC).

The DCCC started in September 2003 with the idea of exposing as many area students to chess as an activity to be enjoyed. The idea has gained momentum as the students at Detroit's Duffield Elementary/Middle School have taken the initiative and have built a website to publicize their activities.  Glenn Smith serves as the Head Coach and received help from sponsors Kevin Fite and Alicia Bulmer who monitor the club and website activities. One unique feature about this scholastic club is the fact that it is run like a  professional organization.  The website reads…

"Once a student shows total commitment to the club, he/she is then given a job title within the club, an email account and business cards to promote the club. Not only will the students learn the magnificent sport of chess they will also learn how to communicate, use technology and see how business works. Meetings are conducted regularly by the students (once every other week during the school year and once a month during the summer). Each student/player is held accountable for their role within the club. Students must also follow the chain of commands within the club."

Detroit Duffield Coach Glenn Smith (standing right) and Team Manager Jeremy Futrell watch as their team plays a match.

The website has a plethora of valuable information including a book list, an opening index, a discussion board, a nice photo gallery and even a Detroit-Canada connection. The site also contains details the benefits of chess. They do not differ from the ones detailed on hundreds of websites, but they are worth repeating...

"Playing chess requires a range of skills and aptitudes that we are trying to develop in our students: anticipation, sequential analysis, making hypotheses and proving or disproving them, spatial organization, memory and powers of concentration. As an intellectual activity that provides many opportunities for decision-making, initiative, originality and creativity, chess gives students an opportunity to show sound judgment. Our student/players also understand that chess correlates with life experiences in that if you make a bad decision on the board it can cost you the game. Besides, chess is a fascinating game that children adore and never tire of exploring."

Detroit City Chess Club meets every Friday night at the Detroit Institute of Arts 5200 Woodward Avenue from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. All are welcome to come and play. You can contact Mr. Kevin Fite at kfite@detroitcitychessclub.com.

Posted by The Chess Drum: 28 February 2005