Chess and Math - Check mate!

Paddy Morgan (Adminstrator from TCDSB) has been one of the most engaging seminar presenters this week at the Niagara U Vaughan campus. He has been influential in bringing forward the connection between the game of Chess and the gamification of math to make learning engaging. Mr. Morgan has provided teachers with a vast network of links between the curriculum and chess activities. Mr. Morgan weaves together Growth Mindset resources such as: 

• Puzzles
• Activities such as Mate-In-A-Move or solving boards are beneficial to all age ranges because the difficulty can be varied and adjusted. The puzzles are game-like and can be incorporated into cooperative learning for multiple students. Perfect as finishers after completing other material.
• Activities for Ontario Curriculum Math strands B-F.
• Numbers - using number lines, value accumulation, point relationships
• Algebra - error recognition, determining missing terms, checkmate patterns 
• Data - graphs / venn diagrams using game data, move probability 
• Spatial sense - clock timers, area of range, geometry translations
• Financial literacy - starting a chess club money activities / allocation
• Accessing student-friendly chess tools online
• Lichess.org OR Chesskids.com
• Point systems 
• Knight - 3 Bishop - 3 Rook - 5 Queen - 9 Chess - ∞
• Coaching ideas
• Strategies, Tactics, Checkmates, Stalemates, Specific scenario (Ex. En passant)
• Tournament formats
• Swiss or Round-Robin format
• Acquiring value boards and pieces for classrooms
• Bulk buying options as low as 18.99 per set
• Learning and focus points
• Modified games such as speed games, shorter games, queen-less games, scotch chess, endgame simulations

Overall I feel as though Mr. Morgan provided a wonderful way to bring forward a cumulative approach to Chess. Lots of resources for people who have not played chess their entire lives in order to get them comfortable to teach with. Even for myself, who has played chess for a long time, these resources to help teach are tremendously helpful. 

Courtesy of ChristopherC@NU-491