2022 Summer Chess Camp
The key to mastering chess, according to Rev. Michael Gant, Senior Pastor of Miracles and Blessings UMC and chess coach, is knowing “what to move, where to move, when to move.”
On June 13, 2022, several boys from the Martindale-Brightwood community, along with adult volunteers, gathered at the church to begin a week of Chess Camp where they would learn the fundamentals of chess. Using a combination of memorization and basic math skills, a video tutorial and written curriculum, Rev. Michael taught the boys and the adults the basics of chess. They spent two hours a day in a classroom setting and took reading materials home. By the third day, one of the boys asked if the camp could be extended for a second week. All of the boys and many volunteers joined in asking for another week, and Rev. Michael was happy to oblige. The boys celebrated what they had learned and their time together at the end of week 2. The church plans to offer Chess Camp again in the summer of 2023.
