Resources: Quick guide to... Playing chess

1 "Being able to play chess is fast becoming a very cool skill for young people," says Karen Harris. She speaks with some knowledge, because she is Tesco's senior buying manager and has seen sales of chess sets booming.

A recent article in The Guardian reported this news and suggested that chess was the new rook 'n' roll. It is one of the few games that young people compete very successfully at in adult competitions. Fourteen-year-old David Howell (pictured, right) is rated 68th best player in Britain.

2 Many young people, especially non-athletic ones, would welcome the chance to do something they are good at, says part-time youth worker and county chess player Steve Barrett (who also happens to be editor of Young People Now). He lists a string of useful skills honed by the game - from strategic thinking and developing memory to preparing for exams by getting used to the discipline imposed by the clock.