Street Talk: Benjamin Chui
Chess has always been seen as an upper-class board game in the eyes of Hongkongers. Benjamin Chui is a FIDE Certified Chess Instructor and founder of Scholastic Chess, which aims to break this perception and get kids playing chess. He tells Siu Sun about the benefits of chess—mental and social alike.
HK Magazine: Tell me about your chess background.
Benjamin Chui: My dad gave me a porcelain chess set as a gift when I was seven years old. I started playing it with my schoolmates and neighbors. Then I began taking part in national tournaments in the USA when I was in secondary school and university. I stopped playing chess competitively after graduating; instead I started playing it socially, and that was when playing chess became my life-long hobby.
HK: Why did you start Scholastic Chess?
BC: I started it with a mission of bringing the benefits of chess to students in Hong Kong. There are not many opportunities to learn chess here. Even if you are interested enough to pick it up yourself, you have no one to play with! So I am hoping to introduce this game to students who do not know it, elevate the skills of students who know how to play it, and popularize and promote chess in Hong Kong generally.
HK: How can people benefit from playing chess?
BC: Playing chess can help both children and adults in raising IQ; strengthening problem-solving skills; enhancing reading, memory and language abilities; demonstrating the importance of concentration, flexible planning and the consequences of decisions—and most important of all, they will learn to think critically and efficiently.
HK: What makes your lessons so special?
BC: My lessons incorporate playfulness and seriousness. Having studied Early Childhood Education, I understand the importance of getting children interested. To do that, students are rewarded with colored belts for their achievements, like in taekwondo or karate. I also use a rating system for my students, so they will know what their relative strengths are, and can play against opponents with similar levels.
HK: Are you worried that Hong Kong moms will want their kids to be the best at chess in the whole world?
BC: There will always be moms like this. But I have to stress that it is not my intention. I hope to show students and moms the true benefits of chess, whether the children become the best or not. Students can enjoy so many benefits even if they win or lose in the competitions. Those are valuable skills and abilities that they can make use of for the rest of their lives.
HK: What do you like the most about chess?
BC: There are so many things I enjoy about chess, but the one thing I like the most is the social aspect of it. Chess is an excellent icebreaker. I have met a wide range of people through chess: including a Harvard Classics professor, a London investment banker, an Italian actor, a homeless guy in California—and above all, I met a real goat shepherd, near Antalya in Turkey! The social aspect of chess is international and I really enjoy meeting people through it.