MHSAA announces Chess to return to club designation

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

MHSAA announces Chess to return to club designation

The Mississippi High School Activities Association announced today that the activity of Chess will return to a club activity immediately, and will no longer be a sanctioned MHSAA activity.

In consultation with Chess stakeholders, the decision was made in the interest of providing more opportunities as a club-level activity, rather than a sanctioned MHSAA activity.

“We are big fans of chess at the MHSAA,” Executive Director Rickey Neaves said. “Chess is in a unique space, and some of the constraints that come with being a sanctioned activity hinder the opportunities that have been traditionally available to chess participants. We will continue to encourage our schools to participate in chess, and we will continue to promote chess,” he said.

“In fact, there is a course at Ole Miss on October 1 that we think school chess coaches should consider attending.”

The course, Teaching Chess: Beyond the Basics, will approach the subject of chess improvement from a growth mindset perspective. Participants will engage in activities designed to push themselves and their students to take on difficult challenges that require the development of new skills. Topics will include tactics, practical endgame play, and fostering a growth mindset in the chess classroom.

For more information about the course, please visit https://cmse.olemiss.edu/teachingchessbeyondthebasics/