Mission Statement

Let Us Teach You Chess was founded in 2003 with a mission to teach children chess to help them become better learners.

History

The President of Let Us Teach You Chess is Craig L. Harris.  Mr. Harris began teaching chess in high school for the Baltimore Bureau of Recreation. Soon after he founded the Woodlawn Chess Club.  At Woodlawn he organized a chess team, held monthly chess tournaments and created a chess club for middle and elementary school children.  In 2000 he began teaching chess in Catonsville to middle and elementary school students. These students competed in local and state scholastic tournaments.  In consecutive, years his team finished 3rd  and 2nd in the Maryland Scholastic Chess Championship.

Why Chess?

Chess teaches patience, self control, and self determination.  It requires commitment and integrity. Unlike with team sports, each participant is given absolute responsibility for the game.   Chess teaches one how to manage responsibility.   With chess, one learns decision making and how to prepare for all possible outcomes of a decision.  Chess teaches one to plan early and to manage long and short term plans that lead to goals. These are skills that all youth should possess.

Several famous people have proposed that chess serve as an international game of peace.  It has universal appeal.  It is played all over the world and the rules are all the same from country to country. On the board, confrontations occur, but in the end the competitors are all friends.