Foremost Unity School, Kings College, Lagos, and New Era Girls senior Secondary School, Surulere, are among the 13 schools scheduled to test their skills in the Chess4Chess initiative, which is organized by the Lagos State Chess Federation.

Six schools participated in the first edition of the competition, but the organisers have now added seven others for the second edition of the initiative sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

According to the organisers, Chess4Change initiative is a programme, which uses the game of Chess to develop strategic thinking as well as re-direct and harness the potential in young children, thereby empowering them to compete in an ever-changing world.

According to the Technical Director of the Lagos State Chess Association, Bayo Babalola, apart from Kings College and New Era Senior Girls Secondary School, also participating in the event are Kuramo Senior College V.I, Falomo Senior Secondary School Ikoyi, Holy Child College Ikoyi, Government Senior College V.I, Akande Dahunsi Memorial Senior Secondary School, Osborne, Ikoyi.

Others are Aiyetoro Grammar School Ebute Metta, Aunty Ayo Girls Comprehensive Secondary School Ikoyi, Government Senior College Eric Moore, Onitolo Girls Senior Secondary School Surulere, Methodist Girls High School Sabo Yaba and St. Timothy College Onike Iwaya.

“The selected schools went through a three-month chess tutoring sessions after which a Grand Slam Tournament was organised. Six outstanding chess scholars were picked to represent each pilot school in the Grand Slam Tournament. Kings College Lagos emerged winners in the team and individual categories with gifts and cash prizes presented to all the Winners,” he said.

The tutoring session will commence in participating schools today with the Grand Slam Tournament holding in 2016.

Babalola said the idea of “propagating the game of chess from the grassroots is to ensure that our children are properly mentored when it comes to academics, thinking and reasoning because the game helps in molding them mentally.

“In as much as we want our wards to represent us globally, we want to continually take the game to more children out there, which in turn help them mentally and to learn quick anywhere they find themselves.”