Using Chess as a Vehicle for the Counterfactual Training of Urban Students

Chess instruction is based in the development of counterfactual-based problem solving and the establishment of causal models. Chess programs promote the following axioms: a) explicit counterfactual instruction can contributes directly to problem solving ability; b) chess as a competitive activity promotes the construction of reasonable argument and the ability to reflect on the application of relevant information and the views of others; c) causal modeling promotes the sequential application of structure to problem solving; and d) an emphasis on precise, abstract reasoning in high pressure situations. Unfortunately, poor and minority children are often least likely to benefit from chess-related instruction. This intervention proposed to address the belief systems that students bring to each situation they encounter, both within and outside of the classroom by introducing chess, and in particular, chess instruction that is rooted in counterfactual training, is uniquely suited to address and correct deficiencies in student thinking during the forethought phase of learning.