On December 18, 2018, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., AT&T and Chess in the Schools co-hosted the Bronx Borough President’s Annual Chess Challenge at The Bronx County Building’s Veterans’ Memorial Hall.
Over 250 Bronx students from grades 3-8 participated in the tournament. The young chess aficionados tested their skills against one another, cheering for particularly good plays and shaking hands to demonstrate their sportsmanship. Winners in each division were presented awards by Borough President Diaz, AT&T Northeast Region President Marissa Shorenstein and Chess in the Schools President & CEO Debbie Eastburn.
“I loved hosting this event because it’s a real treat to see children having fun while learning all of the important skills chess can teach a young mind. Studies have shown that the game of chess improves a child’s visual memory, attention span and spatial-reasoning ability. These children will have the tools to achieve their goals because of the powerful impact on their early development,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I want to thank AT&T and Chess in the Schools for supporting this wonderful event year after year.”
“Taking on the Bronx Borough President in our annual chess match is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Marissa Shorenstein, President, Northern Region, AT&T. “AT&T is proud to continue to support this program that builds students’ academic and critical thinking skills as well as the confidence to succeed in school and beyond.”
Schools that participated in this year’s event included M.S. 118X, J.H.S. 123X, P.S. 205X, P.S. 226X, P.S. / M.S. 279X, P.S. 314X, M.S. 341X, P.S. 369X, M.S. 390X and the Girls Prep Charter School.
Chess in the Schools is a nonprofit organization which helps students learn to use chess as an educational tool to promote learning and critical thinking. The group has been teaching and empowering more than a half-million students in the most underserved communities throughout New York City since 1986.
Photos from the event are available for download at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsKvUny.