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.
3 The best way to learn chess is from a keen player. Ideal would be Alexandra Kosteniuk, whose motto is "chess is cool". But since she is an international grandmaster and a fashion model, she is rather in demand these days. Young people may have to settle for tips from the more locally available nerdy physics teacher. But imagination can be a powerful thing, and there is always Alexandra's web site - www.kosteniuk.com. If that doesn't appeal, remember that Madonna and Guy Ritchie rate chess, and so do pop stars Bono, Moby and Sting, boxer Lennox Lewis, cricketer Andrew Flintoff and that interesting snooker-playing chap Steve Davis.
4 There's a particularly timely excuse for getting the boards out, with National Chess Week upon us from 14 to 30 January. Organised by children's charity Barnardo's, the week promotes the game and raises money. For every game of chess played during the week, participants donate 1 to Barnardo's.
See www.nationalchessweek.co.uk.
5 It is fanciful to think that every youth club could be transformed into a haven of quiet, studious chess players. But there is more than one way to fianchetto a bishop. Computers are well suited to chess playing, and there are many good games programs and learning resources on the internet.
You can also try outdoor chess with big pieces. Playing chess with live kids dressed as pieces sounds a laugh. But chess games can go on a bit, and young pawns stuck on the side of the board can easily grow bored and fractious. Speed chess is an option.
6 Chess is far more varied than outsiders realise. It has tricks, hustlers and gamblers. The game can be elegant and witty, more usually brutal and thrilling. Adrenaline runs high. It is impossible to predict which young people will take to chess - but introduce it to all, and some will always have reason to thank you.
