SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Chess is a game of concentration and strategy. 64 squares on the game board and played with 16 pieces. The sole objective of the game is to win via checkmate. Chess has become a big hit at French immersive school Le Lycee Francais de San Diego in Kearny Mesa, as kids kindergarten through eighth grade have taken a real liking for the game.
"It's amazing," says school principal Francois Tregouet. "Nowadays it's really hard to have five and six-year-old kids really focus for more than five minutes. Now they are playing chess for a half hour."
The game has become very popular at the school, and what started out as a chess club, has now become a chess team. This week the school is hosting a United States-France tournament.
"We have schools coming from New Jersey, Chicago, and from Santa Rosa, California. More than 100 individuals will come to join us for this tournament. The winner of this tournament will go to France in June to participate in the French tournament."
Le Lycee Francois de San Diego started their chess club two years ago. Not only have the kids learned the game, it's also made them better students in the classroom.
"We have already seen the benefit inside the classroom," says Tregouet. "It's not just about playing the game. We have a first-grade teacher who said the students are focusing in class a whole lot better. They are excited about playing, and they even play during recess."
