A Jersey City, New Jersey native, Bobby was introduced to the game at the age of 10
at the C.Y.O., a local recreational center for inner-city youth. Later, as a teen, he battled
low self-esteem, the stigma of being two grades behind and domestic disharmony,
which limited his vision for his future. The one thing that offered him solace and made
him feel empowered was the game of chess. But, because chess was not “cool”, was
not a game that inner-city children played and anyone who played was a geek or a
nerd, there were limited opportunities to compete and hone his skills and little to no
support or encouragement. Yet, he remained intrigued, almost consumed by the
game. Its complexities, its simplicity, its challenges, its strategies, its similarities to
life.
Playing chess helped him realize that there is a solution for every problem, taught him
to focus his energy and attention, how to think things through, how to plan, how to
recover, how to lose gracefully, how to win with humility and how to persevere. He’s
made it his mission to impart these life-building skills to his students as he teaches
and coaches the game of chess.
This mission began to manifest itself when in 1995 Bobby found himself unemployed
and was offered a position teaching chess to at-risk youth in a juvenile facility in
Newark, NJ. Due to limited funding, the position was not financially rewarding, but the
payoff was bigger than he could have ever imagined or expected. Within one week
children who had never played chess were playing chess. Children who did not trust
adults were opening up to him and telling their stories. Children who had grown up
too hard and too fast felt safe enough to be children in the presence of this man who
represented their fantasies of their absentee fathers. It was then that Bobby realized
he had a gift for communicating with and inspiring children. He realized that he could
combine that gift with his knowledge and enthusiasm for chess to make a difference
in children’s lives; to open their eyes to new experiences and their minds to unlimited
possibilities.
Reflecting on what chess had done for him as a youngster and the ostracism he
faced as a result, he determined then that he would make chess accessible and fun
for as many children in the community as possible. He began by volunteering his
services at local churches and public schools. He set up classes which turned into
teams which turned into tournaments. Fueled by the success and popularity of his
workshops, he continued to search for ways to increase his reach. He began
recruiting and training area chess enthusiasts and established Kings Knight Chess
Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children increase their mental
capabilities by learning, playing and competing in the game of chess.
As a chess devotee, Bobby continued to educate himself about the game, from an
historical aspect as well as its modern-day benefits. Through his research, he found
that chess can have tremendous impact on children with behavioral challenges such
as ADD and ADHD as it helps them to focus their energy. He found that there are
many other benefits for children, such as:
Armed with this knowledge and a staff of coaches, Kings Knight established
workshops at several public schools, charter schools, day care centers, public
housing projects, correctional facilities, the Boys and Girls Clubs and the New Jersey
City University campus. It has also established a number of annual tournaments.
As research has shown that chess can provide the mental exercise and stimulation
that can help stave off Alzheimer's disease, Bobby has taken his mission and his
team of children into senior citizen residences to teach the elders to play chess.
These events benefit all participants. The seniors enjoy learning the game as much
as they do the time and attention of the youngsters. The children feel valued because
they are helping the elderly and they enjoy the attention and affection that is lavished
on them. Recognizing that his interaction with children has placed him in the position
of “role model”, Bobby will be enrolling in college in spring semester of 2007 to
pursue a degree in psychology. It is his belief that education is one of the most
important tools one can have and he wants to exemplify this to all of his students. To
take a more expansive, holistic approach to educating, nurturing and inspiring the
children of the community, Kings Knight Chess Club will be launching a new program
in partnership with Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jersey City and the Grove
Reformed Church in North Bergen, New Jersey. With the goal of enriching the “whole”
child, the program will include:
As with all non-profit organizations, funding is Kings Knight’s biggest hurdle. In order
to have the lasting, far-reaching impact Bobby Stewart envisions, the organization is
seeking financial support to cover overhead and operating costs, materials, the
development of staff and programs and scholarships.
at the C.Y.O., a local recreational center for inner-city youth. Later, as a teen, he battled
low self-esteem, the stigma of being two grades behind and domestic disharmony,
which limited his vision for his future. The one thing that offered him solace and made
him feel empowered was the game of chess. But, because chess was not “cool”, was
not a game that inner-city children played and anyone who played was a geek or a
nerd, there were limited opportunities to compete and hone his skills and little to no
support or encouragement. Yet, he remained intrigued, almost consumed by the
game. Its complexities, its simplicity, its challenges, its strategies, its similarities to
life.
Playing chess helped him realize that there is a solution for every problem, taught him
to focus his energy and attention, how to think things through, how to plan, how to
recover, how to lose gracefully, how to win with humility and how to persevere. He’s
made it his mission to impart these life-building skills to his students as he teaches
and coaches the game of chess.
This mission began to manifest itself when in 1995 Bobby found himself unemployed
and was offered a position teaching chess to at-risk youth in a juvenile facility in
Newark, NJ. Due to limited funding, the position was not financially rewarding, but the
payoff was bigger than he could have ever imagined or expected. Within one week
children who had never played chess were playing chess. Children who did not trust
adults were opening up to him and telling their stories. Children who had grown up
too hard and too fast felt safe enough to be children in the presence of this man who
represented their fantasies of their absentee fathers. It was then that Bobby realized
he had a gift for communicating with and inspiring children. He realized that he could
combine that gift with his knowledge and enthusiasm for chess to make a difference
in children’s lives; to open their eyes to new experiences and their minds to unlimited
possibilities.
Reflecting on what chess had done for him as a youngster and the ostracism he
faced as a result, he determined then that he would make chess accessible and fun
for as many children in the community as possible. He began by volunteering his
services at local churches and public schools. He set up classes which turned into
teams which turned into tournaments. Fueled by the success and popularity of his
workshops, he continued to search for ways to increase his reach. He began
recruiting and training area chess enthusiasts and established Kings Knight Chess
Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children increase their mental
capabilities by learning, playing and competing in the game of chess.
As a chess devotee, Bobby continued to educate himself about the game, from an
historical aspect as well as its modern-day benefits. Through his research, he found
that chess can have tremendous impact on children with behavioral challenges such
as ADD and ADHD as it helps them to focus their energy. He found that there are
many other benefits for children, such as:
- improved concentration
- develops logical thinking
- develops imagination
- inspires creative problem solving
- inspires self-motivation
Armed with this knowledge and a staff of coaches, Kings Knight established
workshops at several public schools, charter schools, day care centers, public
housing projects, correctional facilities, the Boys and Girls Clubs and the New Jersey
City University campus. It has also established a number of annual tournaments.
As research has shown that chess can provide the mental exercise and stimulation
that can help stave off Alzheimer's disease, Bobby has taken his mission and his
team of children into senior citizen residences to teach the elders to play chess.
These events benefit all participants. The seniors enjoy learning the game as much
as they do the time and attention of the youngsters. The children feel valued because
they are helping the elderly and they enjoy the attention and affection that is lavished
on them. Recognizing that his interaction with children has placed him in the position
of “role model”, Bobby will be enrolling in college in spring semester of 2007 to
pursue a degree in psychology. It is his belief that education is one of the most
important tools one can have and he wants to exemplify this to all of his students. To
take a more expansive, holistic approach to educating, nurturing and inspiring the
children of the community, Kings Knight Chess Club will be launching a new program
in partnership with Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jersey City and the Grove
Reformed Church in North Bergen, New Jersey. With the goal of enriching the “whole”
child, the program will include:
- Chess Workshops
- Tutoring
- Mentoring
- Piano Lessons
- Etiquette for Children
- Culinary Arts
- Photography
- Entrepreneur Program
As with all non-profit organizations, funding is Kings Knight’s biggest hurdle. In order
to have the lasting, far-reaching impact Bobby Stewart envisions, the organization is
seeking financial support to cover overhead and operating costs, materials, the
development of staff and programs and scholarships.
| Robert Stewart "Bobby Chess" Founder & Exec.Director |
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