Students earned chess scholarships

Artwork by Mike Magnan

Chess wins college scholarships for five Philadelphia students
By Drew Singer

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Brett Chapman has the savvy of an entrepreneur and the build of a linebacker, but his college scholarship is for neither business nor ball.

Instead, the West Philadelphia native earned his money by being one of the city’s best at chess.

Chapman, a senior at Science Leadership Academy in Center City, was one of five students honored for their prowess in after-school chess programs at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon in City Hall.

Temple and Drexel Universities each will give $2,500 rewards to two players to attend, while the Community College of Philadelphia will give $1,000 to the fifth player.

Mayor Nutter and School Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman both attended the ceremony.

The nonprofit group After School Activities Partnerships (ASAP) first organized the scholarships in 2010, although it has been running chess programs for the last seven years.

Philadelphia schools have some of the shortest school days in the nation, ASAP president Marciene Mattleman said, making after-school programs a top priority.

Most of this year’s recipients immigrated to the United States as young children. Chapman, who grew up in West Philadelphia, recalled how he had to ignore peer pressure to play the game.

“My dad taught me to stick with what you’re good at,” he said. “People will try to stop you, but you have to stay focused and never give in. You have to be committed to what you do.”

Chapman learned chess at 7 and soon began beating his father. Now, he beats everyone – he hasn’t lost a league match all season.

His daily practices can last a couple of hours, a sign to Drexel that he has what it takes to succeed as a business student.

“If a student’s really good at chess, you know he’s learned how to study,” said Leroy Dubeck, a physics professor at Temple. “Chess is like any academic subject, you have to train yourself to study and concentrate well.”

Dubeck, a chess master, is a former president of the U.S. Chess Federation.

Because tournament play is timed, chess players also learn how to compete against the clock, Dubeck said – a helpful skill when exam time comes around.

The other recipients are Trung Nguyen from Fels High School; Chandra Raharja from Preparatory Charter High School; Darius Vrubliauskas from Northeast High School; and Leon Kowlesar from the High School of Engineering and Science.

Nutter said after-school programs are important to keep children’s brains stimulated over the summer, on top of keeping them out of trouble.

“Our goal is to have children active, busy, and tired,” he said.

Nutter said that he, too, grew up playing chess, but didn’t exactly excel. While visiting an after-school chess program, he recently lost to a talented child.

“It’s a personal reminder that no matter how high you think you’ve risen in life, there’s nothing like being beaten by a fourth grader in chess,” he said.

Source: http://www.philly.com