Camaraderie with Cuban Players
On Sunday, March 22, nine young U.S. Chess Center students joined nine kids from the Caimito, Cuba, chess club for a friendly match.
Chess confers many benefits on its students: improving memory and concentration, learning that actions have consequences, and appreciating the value of patience, perseverance, and planning. However, we believe that making friendships is the most important benefit, and the match with Cuba was a step toward forming friendships that benefit society.
When we learned that children learning chess in a small town southwest of Havana, Cuba, wanted to expand their horizons, we challenged them to an internet match. As impoverished as all of Cuba is, the conditions in which these students participated were even more harsh. For more than a day, the entire electric grid of their nation had shut down.
The Cuban players, and their adult coaches, were as gracious as their reputation suggested. Cuba has perhaps the friendliest population in the world and their attitude towards chess is entirely compatible with ours. The club in Caimito, like the U.S. Chess Center, stresses that chess is a tool to teach children critical thinking skills and to develop friendships with people from other cultures.
It happened that the Cubans lost games because of difficulties with their internet connections. When their system froze and their games were forfeited, there was no complaint, just an expression of looking forward to the next opportunity to play.
We hope to meet them again when their conditions are better, and we think it would be wonderful to lead a delegation of American chess ambassadors to the island to meet over tangible boards.