FIDE Infinite Chess Project

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The Infinite Chess launches in Taiwan

The FIDE project Infinite Chess has launched in Taiwan by TYCA. TYCA, Taiwan Youth Chess association is an organization of passionate chess players aiming at helping younger players grow and reinforce skills. As they volunteer around in helping others, they have confronted many ASD children enthusiastic in chess games and yet struggling in leaning chess in a proper way. TYCA has done research in finding ways to help these ASD children, and that’s how they found the Infinite Chess by FIDE. “We are deeply grateful to have become a part of the Infinite family and be able to launch the project helping more ASD children. We also collaborate with the Foundation for Autistic Children and Adults in Taiwan, and working all together to enrich our experience, provide positive impact, and make significant differences to ASD children,” – TYCA states.

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As lessons continue, teachers get to know each child better. By gaining their trust, they see their growing interest in learning chess. Teached noticed a big progress in ASD children’s ability to handle both loss and win gracefully. Their attention span has grown, their strategic thinking and problem solving skills have improved class by class.

Not only are they bonding with the children, they engage in conversations with parents on problems they have encounter either related to chess or in their real life. Parents see the benefits of chess. In order to encourage the practice and interest of chess at home, TYCA even organizes lessons for the parents to learn how to play chess so the parents could be partners or playmates to their children. The chess game provides a share interest and common ground communication for the ASD children with the outside world or with their family. Chess improves children’s memory and attention span, and self-confidence. From the feedback of the parents, chess is an effective tool, positive impact, and therapeutic intervention for their children. According to the research done by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare, the number of autism people has increased 317% since 2000. Since TYCA launched the project, they heard many voices of autism children that are seeking for help. In the future, the initiative is expecting to expand to other cities of Taiwan in order to practice the project to more ASD children and to share the benefits that chess can bring to them. TYCA plans to start new classes in Taichung and get more ASD children involved in the project.