[imagefield_assist|fid=16049|preset=fullsize|lightbox=true|title=Thousands of Boy Scouts across the country are being introduced to chess thanks to the recent launch of the Boy Scout Merit Badge for Chess.|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=700|height=467]
By Alex Vergilesov
On a chilly Saturday in Saint Louis, 54 shivering Boy Scouts descended on the Central West End on November 3 to participate in the Boy Scout Merit Badge Day. Scouts and parents from across the greater Saint Louis area, many of whom had never been to the Chess Club, finally had a reason to visit our world-class facility: the coveted Chess Merit Badge!
Extra staff had to be called in to open the chess club early at 9 a.m. to conduct the nine-hour workshop, which had a few built-in breaks including one hour for lunch. Scouts were randomly split into two classrooms. Scholastic Coordinators Matt Barrett and yours truly were lead instructors while part-time staff Justin Rulo-Sabe, Thomas Pathiyil and David Koehr assisted with the workshop and kept everything from getting out of hand.
The first hour and a half of the workshop revolved around chess history and vocabulary. Scouts were taken through history on the chess board and learned how the pieces got their functions and names. Scouts were also instructed on basic chess tactics because each had to know at least five different maneuvers such as a “fork”, a “pin” and the commonly devastating “discovered check!” Scouts also learned the importance of sportsmanship in chess, although the concept was far from foreign to them!
After the lecture portion of the workshop, the scouts participated in a quad-format tournament. Scouts had to take chess notation and abide by the rules of tournament chess. Each scout played three games against fellow scouts. This portion of the workshop satisfies several merit badge requirements, notably the knowledge of chess notation, tournament play and tournament etiquette, not to mention it gave the chess club staff a minute to breathe!
Once the tournament was concluded, scouts were thoroughly tested by Chess Club staff and Boy Scout Chess Merit Badge Counselor, Ernest Hayes. We were all relieved to see that every scout had enough knowledge and experience to pass the requirements exam. Each scout was approved to receive the merit badge and as an added bonus, they received a medal for participating in their first chess tournament!
Big thanks to the Boy Scouts of America for promoting the event, the scouts and parents for participating and the chess club staff that came in early on a Saturday to have a successful event! The next Boy Scout merit badge workshop is scheduled to take place on January 5, here at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.
