ZEYNEP PEHLİVAN

Izmir - Findings at the Egypt pyramids show us evidence that chess was being played 4000 years ago from our present day. But many think that the chess game probably originated in India by the seventh century and spread from there. The World Chess Championship was first organized in 1886 and many championships, tournaments, and events have been held for chess since then.

Chess develops intellectual, esthetic, sporting, decision making, concentration, personal responsibility, and perseverance skills so children begin to play chess when they are very young. In Turkey, it becomes more popular. Turkish Chess Federation recently issued a statement and said: As of 2021, they have one million licensed athletes and their aim is to have five million secondary school students. The most important thing is that chess will be an optional subject at schools starting from the 2021-2022 academic year.

Dilara Gün is a chess coach who devotes her life to spread chess in the Izmir province of Turkey.

She plays chess since her childhood

Dilara is just a 22 years old woman and she has played chess for 16 years. When we consider all the positive effects that chess has on the human mind, it will be right to say that Dilara met chess at the right age. Dilara thinks that other children deserve a chance like her. She provides an important contribution to the development of hundreds of children by teaching chess. She told us her chess story;

“I was just six-seven years old. My primary school teacher's wife was a chess teacher. Children chose to learn chess at schools at that time. I first heard the name of chess there. I didn’t know anything about chess before. I worked with our teacher until I was nine years old. She often took us to tournaments. We didn’t receive any more support. When my parents realized that I was good at the tournaments, they sent me to a chess course. But my teacher at the course died and I couldn’t play chess for a while. During that time, I taught how to play chess to my sister, ten years younger than me, and at that time I realized how much I like teaching.  Then I taught how to play chess to the children of my mother’s friends. When I entered the university, I really wanted to teach chess. I began to teach chess because I loved it but now it becomes my job. I have worked as a chess coach at a chess club in Izmir for four years.”

“I feel like I am in another world when I play chess”

Dilara is a young chess coach so when the parents first see her, they are surprised. But in time, the parents get used to her and respect her;

“In fact, they realize that education is not about age, that I am really good at it. In the beginning, I had only six-seven students but this number increases to 30-40. I feel like I am in another world when I play chess. After a while, I feel like I am a piece of the chessboard. Sometimes, we play a game for two or three hours. At tournaments, chess masters spend more time on a game. You don’t know how hours pass when you play chess. The most I can focus on something is when I'm playing chess. Being a chess coach also gives me economic freedom. I have worked as a chess coach since I started the university. I think being a woman having economic independence in Turkey is very important.

“Chess solves anxiety and focusing problems”

Many countries prefer to include chess in their curriculum. Turkey will also include it into its curriculum next year. Dilara thinks this is a very positive step.

“Some of our students are autistic children; some of them have trouble focusing. Even, some children take courses to be better at school subjects. Chess solves anxiety and focusing problems. It also contributes significantly to planning skills and motivation.”

“It is never too late to learn”

Society sees chess as a men's game. Dilara has played chess for 16 years to break this stereotype. Having female chess coaches is very important while their number is very low.

“There is male dominance in chess. Despite that, our federation chairperson is a woman. This is an important advantage for us. The federation has carried out works to encourage women. It also organizes championships in categories; a category for men and a category for women. In my classes, maybe two or three out of 10 students are girls. Surely, their number is very low now but this number has increased since my childhood. When I began to play chess my mother was 26 years old. Both of us were very young. My mother took us to chess tournaments, she was always with us. In time, she also learned how to play chess. Now she is 43 years old and she will be a chess coach soon. Your age is definitely not a criterion for learning chess or even being a chess coach!”