Kiryat Motzkin makes a chess move

To Israeli Chess Champion, We’re All Pawns

By Zalman Ruderman
Mar 6, 2008

The southern desert city of Be’er Sheva may be Israel’s chess capital, but the northern coastal town of Kiryat Motzkin is a close runner-up. Its local municipality instituted a chess curriculum last year in its schools, and has since hosted city-wide competitions.

Dov Zaltz, the Israeli chess champion who manages the program, says that most of Kiryat Motzkin’s schools now teach their students the intricacies of the two-person game.

“It is wonderful to see the brilliance of the younger generation,” says Zaltz, 52, stroking his white and grey beard. “It is necessary to teach the children chess, it helps build the children’s self esteem and their learning capabilities.”

Zaltz’s eyes light up when he talks about the latest competition he organized.

“I was expecting a small crowd, when 52 children showed up for the competition,” he relates, sitting in front of the dozen or so trophies he’s earned over the years.

Like those he instructs, Zaltz was first drawn to the game as a child.

“One day, I observed a group of students playing chess,” he says. “I had no clue how to play, and was worried that the children would laugh at my moves.”

His early years taught him a lot about self-esteem and sportsmanship.

Here is the full article.