Scholastic Chess-What Would Steinitz Have Thought?

I went to the Illinois State Scholastic tournament yesterday and I was struck by several things. First and foremost was the enthusiasm of the kids who were playing chess for sheer joy of the game. It was nice to see that for a change instead of people who were playing for money as is typically the case in the large Swiss adult tournaments. The other thing that struck me was the dedication of the parents and coaches who were spending the weekend with their kids so they could play chess. This is no small commitment and unlike youth soccer or hockey, the parents aren't even allowed to watch the games! (There is considerable merit to this idea by the way, other youth sports are thinking about it too..)There were over 700 players at this event with players ranging in age from 5 to 14 and my hat is off to the organizers of this event as well. While it was chaotic outside the tournament hall, it was quite quiet within. While only a small percentage of these kids will go on to play adult tournament chess, scholastic chess spreads knowledge of the game and that can only help chess in the long run. If ever the US is to seriously challenge for the world title again, the seeds of that challenge will from programs like this as well as support for the current challengers that we may put forth today.