The Wichita NAACP Youth Chess Team prepares to host their first Chess Tournament

On April 26th, the Wichita Branch NAACP Youth Chess Team will host its first neighborhood Chess Tournament. The tournament will be held at the Showcase Lounge, 3926 E. 13th st at 9am. Kyron Cox and Isaiah Myles are pictured here along with their coach, Mr. Anthony Winn of IWCCI (the Independent World Chess Championships Inc.)

The Tournament is the result of a longtime partnership between the Wichita Branch NAACP and IWCCI to promote the game of Chess in the schools and the community.

The Youth Chess team has been meeting and practicing every Sunday between 3 and 4pm at the Wichita Branch NAACP office building, located at 829 N Market St, for nearly a year. However, in preparation for the Tournament, we will be opening up the practices to the community. Anyone who enjoys the game, or is interested in learning about the game, or who would just like to come out for some entertainment, light snacks, and good conversation is invited to join us. Adults and children are invited.



At their practice on Sunday, the Youth were joined by Mr. Arthur Neal, a 20-year competitive Chess player. Mr. Neal played several games with the Youth and even played a game against Anthony Winn, the coach and head of IWCCI. Mr. Neal said of the Game, "Chess is important for the youth because it is a Mind thing... No two games are ever the same"
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We built our Youth Group around our Chess Team because of the games ability to shape and develop critical thinking skills. Through the study of the game the children learn forward thinking skills, effective planning, discipline, controlled aggression and defense.

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It is our hope that through increasing the games visibility and sharing and promoting its benefits, we can grow the community's interest in the game. If it sounds interesting to you... come on by and check us out!!

Youth Chess team members pictured with Mr. Artur Neal: Courtland, Andre, Andrew "Tatty", Isaiah, Ronnell, and Kyron... (not Pictured are Amani Myles, Kaci Furrow, and Youth Advisor Kenya Cox)

Tech Tags: Chess, Youth, Youth+Development, NAACP