Imitation of Life - Chess
Horace Fletcher is a retired Health and Physical Education teacher. At a certain point during his tenure, he developed an interest in learning the game of chess. After research and learning from a much more advanced player and frequently being out maneuvered, he slowly improved. He and that friend often got high sniffing heroin to motivate them to play.
Native Washingtonian, Horace was born adjacent to the baseball outfield of John F. Kennedy playground at 1406 6th street NW. Educated in DC Public Schools, Horace attended Coppin State Teacher’s College, DC Teacher’s College, George Washington University and Cambridge College. He taught Health and Physical Education for 30 years in DC Public Schools.
Horace decided to introduce beginners chess to some of his students. Later Horace was assigned the “Aftercare Coordinator” position and started a Chess Club. They started learning the “Pawn Game” and eventually learned how each piece moved. With parental permission, some Saturdays Horace would take students to the US Chess Center at 15th and M Sts NW WDC to advance their skills. They would compete against other students in the city. They were divided into groups based on skill levels. Eventually, during the school day, they would compete in tournaments against other schools. They didn't win the tournament but they enjoyed playing a mental sport as much as physical ones!
Chess is considered a cerebral game. It teaches critical thinking skills, strategy, planning, sacrifice (giving up a piece for a better position or outcome), future consequences of current moves, etc!