Memorandum

MEMORANDUM

on Introduction of Chess into the Compulsory Education System

1.Despite the feeling by a great many of chess exeptional importance for the compulsory education system, at present all repeatedly undertaken attempts to bring chess as required course into the school didn't brought to desired strategical result - introduction of compulsory chess education everywhere. The main goal of present Memorandum is to favour the chessworld to realize the principal cause of such an unsatisfactory state of affairs and to show the way out of the arisen situation.

2. Impossible to argue convincingly the necessity of bringing chess into schools without the presence of exact wording of the purpose of compulsory education institution existence as such. In one's turn, this wording can't be consedered as adequate without understanding of the school place and part in the system of human culture.

3. Different interpretations of the human culture are possible - which of them we have to give preference? Consistent solution of this problem brings us - after all - to realizing that all our assertions, including the text you are reading now, are in any case realized by means of one or another language apparatus. But what is that, our language - just the language thousands of times each of us is interacting daily, and therefore normally we take no notice of, both like chairs we sitting? Aren't already primordially installed in our everyday language some such correlations and criterions of selection we do not realize, which could help us to determine reliabelly the most adequate interpretation of human culture? And, in general, can we contend something about the language for sure - you see, for that we have to use none other than ... the same language but again?! Thus, moving along the logical chain of reflections, we, sooner or later, inevitably come to the basic problem of philosophy - the problem of language.

4. Careful study of the history of philosophy shows, that in a general way the language problem was successfully solved already by ancient Greek philosophers, however later on, by misunderstanding, this solution was consigned to undeserved oblivion. Modern conception of the language problem, rested upon achievements of ancient Greek sages and works of some contemporary thinkers , allows us to comprehend reliably and unambiguously enough the meaning and motive forces of human culture and, therefore, efficiently formulate the aims and objects of the compulsory education system. And what is more, thanks to today's sense of language problem, chessworld at last got long-awaited opportunity to substantiate grantedly the necessity of insertion of chess into obligatory curriculum and also - and this is exceptionally important - minutely determine parameters and aims of the general compulsory chess education.

5. Exeptional importance of chess and philosophy interaction was already distinctively realized by Steinitz and particularly Lasker. But afterwards, when firstly in the twenties of the last century in Russia, and after that somewhat later in Germany, as much false, as uncompromising philosophical doctrines were elevated to the rank of state religion, the chessworld was obliged to put an end to its own philosophical quest. A triumphal procession of the sports fundamentalism in chess started and the scientific constituent of the sage's game famous triunity: art - sport - science henceforth came only to utilization of diverse scientific achievements in attaining sport victory... Sports fundamentalism in chess proceeds with reining also in our time, for to date flourishing on the planet market fundamentalism respects the success as the sole criterion of truth. And specificity of success in chess requires from earliest years strict enough specialisation: most leading chessplayers - i.e. those, who's opinion consider in the first instance chess community - to get the same are forced already at the school age move aside their general education to the background. At the same time chess organizers of every level are obliged at present first and foremost to be engaged in arduous search of financing sources... The surroundings pressure appeared to be not only too potent but also exeptionally pernicious for the chessworld - by the beginning of the 21-st century WE BECAME INTELLECTUALLY BLIND! To date the game of sage's is taken by the general public more and more as some exotic sport; and the chess champions - as bearers of LITTLE NEEDED and from the common to all mankind standpoint SUFFICIENTLY USELESS formalistic mastery, moreover novadays easily understood by any standard PC. SAYING NOTHING IMPORTANTTO THE PEOPLE, WE DIDN'T JUSTIFIED SETTED ON US HOPES. Just that is, as I see it, the principal cause the game of chess loss an image of man's intellectual faculties criterion.

6. Of course, always there have been those, who was preoccupied by such a situation and made worthy of all kinds respect efforts to restore for the royal game bygone attention of the educated part of society. In particular, a good many number of people, who on their own experience have had tested the wholesome effect of chess as an instrument of teaching and training, endeavoured and are endeavouring now to knock at the door of their country' Ministry of Education. However adduced by them arguments almost never have had and do not having now nothing common neither with problem of language, nor even with philosophy in broaden interpretation of this word: those argument nearly always belong to one or another field of pedagogy or psychology...
Today the time has came to understand at last, that this, who's argumentation do not in any way use specific difference of chess from other analogous creations of human genius, not only is far from being indicating in chess favour, but also demonstrates exactly the opposite! For his adduced arguments, supposedly that just the game of chess largely favours the pupil's intellectual development ( and that is perfectly true!) always are so vulnerable, that by that obvious vulnerability they already by themselves clearly testify of exactly opposite! Especially painful is the fact, that many active propagandists of chess do not like - or not able - to realize, that evident weakness of their arguments is capable only to increas still more doubts about ultimate outcomes of chessgame influence upon human's intellectual faculties.

7. Of course, the sports facet of chess should be exploited as much as possible. However, as it was reaffirmed by IOC recent decisions, this trend of FIDE activity has its limits. A long - term warp to the sport aspect should get over at last - it is necessary to put an end to the baneful for chess practice, when International Chess Federation, far from founding philosophy of its own subject, do not even realize the vital necessity of such a work. Many, if not all, martial arts of the Orient have their own philosophy, - but chess, for a period of centuries associated with mind and wisdom - do not! That sort of unnatural and antiintellectual situation completely and beforehand discredits any serious attempt to bring chess into the system of compulsory education.
In case in the near futur FIDE will not be able to elaborate its own philosophical conception and will not start making efforts on its popularization, simultaneously exerting pressure upon the parliaments and Ministries of Education of different countries on introduction of general compulsory chess education, then a kind of FIDE subdivisions as "Committee on Chess in Schools" or "Development Comission" one may uite calmly disband as superfluous.

8. The content and methods of any educational process are in decisive degree defined by it's ultimate aim. Therefore teaching of chess within the bounds of general education school will considerably differ from occuring everywhere instruction of youthful chessplayers, directed only on achieving of sporting result. Hence it appears, that neither during the process of introduction of chess into the system of general education, nor subsequently any high chess title by itself would be sufficient guarantee of competence for teaching in school. Thus, in case of FIDE's successful actions, the need in creation of special higher educational establishment, preparing chess pedagogues for the compulsory education system, will arise on its own. It can be proved that such an educational establishment could also simultaneously train teachers of philosophy, mathemathics and some other most important school disciplines - therefore in financing of that sort truly chess-philosophical Academies one can hope for the state backing...
Further development of this part of Memorandum is senselessly, for FIDE, investing lately several millions of dollars annually to carry out the finals of individual world championship (and just that very kind of activity gentlemen chess sports fundamentalists consider as the basic and most important (!) function of International Chess Federation) - during its entire history didn't lent - as far as I know - a single cent to create philosophy of chess. What kind of "chess in schools" is that ?!

9. One of the best 20 - th century ' experts on methodology of science , sir Karl R. Popper wrote: "a point of view is inevitable; and the naive attempt to avoid it can only lead to self - deception , and to the uncritical application of an unconscious point of view. (...) we cannot avoid a point of view; and the belief that we can must lead to self-deception and to lack of critical care." FIDE has to break out from the mantle of self-deception and to work out its own philosophical point of view , now might be good, for instance, already by arised from this point of view methodology, which would also emulate those authors of chess textbooks for children, who erroneously suppose, that "Don't Harm! " has to do only with medicine. In addition, availability of own philosophical chess standpoint would considerably reinforce penetration of those educated bearers of highest chess ranks and titles, who act alone since decades, unsuccessfully attempting to take by storm impregnable for the present bulwarks of compulsory education. It should be not astonished to meet with scant success of those energetic persons: we have to provide them with more powerful, up-to-date instruments.

10. The hope for chessplayers soon not only could get out from too prolonged intellectual crisis and recover to chess bygone prestige of the game of sages, but also would become real challengers for the title of intellectual leaders of humanity, is very little. Including for - as recently took notice Steve Timmins, Einstein Group's C E O : "the majority of the world strongest chessplayers are perfectly indifferent to the destiny of their own game - they are preoccupied only with themselves." But are the strongest chessplayers really guilty for to stay amongst the best one's they to date are simply obliged to place their intellect entirely at the service of the will?
In order things may begin to move out from the standstill , chessworld has to realize at last, that the future role of chess in the human culture almost do not depend at all on those genial moves , that leading chessplayers did and will do on the chessboard. Understanding of this circumstance - that is the first , and very important, step in overcoming the sports fundamentalism in chess.

GENS UNA SUMUS

Tallinn, 09. October 2002

Aleksander Veingold
International Master,

Honoured Trainer of Estonia, secretary to FIDE commitee on Chess in Schools, member of FIDE Development Comission