What if the most valuable gift you could give a child is a chess set?
Chess Rising Stars founder Maria Manelidou visited the Times Square Elite Training Camp in New York, meeting some of the strongest young players in the United States and learning more about the Impact Coaching Network and The Gift of Chess’ international mission.
Hosted in a large venue in the heart of Manhattan, the camp brought together talented junior players for intensive training sessions. The standard of play reflected the impressive strength of the group, with The Gift of Chess sharing that “almost all of the nearly 100 students currently training at our Elite Training Camp in Times Square, NYC are ranked within the Top 100 players for their respective ages in the USA.”
During the visit, Maria had the opportunity to take on several of the students in friendly games and secured three wins out of three!
Maria also spent time speaking with Russell Makofsky about The Gift of Chess initiative and its wider objectives. The organisation’s goal is to distribute one million chess sets globally by 2030, using chess as a tool to encourage learning, connection and participation in communities around the world.
One of the highlights of the visit was Maria receiving a Gift of Chess set as a present. The design includes a distinctive detail on the king: rather than the traditional cross, it features their logo, a wrapped present.
Maria’s New York chess experience also included visits to the historic Marshall Chess Club and the famous chess tables at Washington Square Park, two locations that represent the city’s long-standing connection with the game. She particularly enjoyed playing a blitz game against a hustler in Union Square!
For Chess Rising Stars, the visit provided valuable insight into how another established junior chess programme helps young players engage with the game. We are excited to follow The Gift of Chess’ mission from afar and bring some lessons home with us. New York can teach London a thing or two!
