How an Argentinean sociologist is using chess to support, reach out to vulnerable children
Agustín Teglia has found that the game encourages active attention , fosters socialisation and even helps some work through their traumas.
A chess board with black and white boxes and a set of pieces placing a dispute are the tools that Agustín Teglia, a sociologist, found to face violence and marginality. Using this method, he also integrated children and teenagers from vulnerable areas and others in juvenile criminal institutions.
Growing up, Teglia heard the prejudice that chess was a game for the smartest and, in many cases, the affluent. However, he discovered that through practice, the activity could become a pedagogical device capable of fostering group dynamics and integration. He also found that with some simplifications, anyone could start playing on the first day at any age.
“We start by telling the story of the game and the pieces, suspending some more abstract rules like checking for direct combat where pieces are captured. Then, we gradually incorporate more rules to make the game more complex and strategic,” he says.
“When I started working in Villa 21 [a low-income area in Buenos Aires], I had to discard my prejudices,” he recalled. “Five-year-old kids got excited when I told them the history of chess and immersed them in the cultural world of the game.”
Teglia emphasises the advantages of chess as “a playful activity that develops active attention.” He...
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