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July 20th • Strategy & Mind

World Chess Day

Chess has been played for over 1,500 years. It is known as the game of kings—a brutal mental battle of strategy, patience, and foresight. Today, we debate why this ancient game remains so popular, and how artificial intelligence has completely changed how we understand the board.

A chess board representing strategic thinking

Speaking Discussion

  • Do you know how to play chess? If so, what do you think is the most difficult part of the game?
  • Why is chess so often associated with high intelligence and genius characters in movies?
  • Is it still fun to play a game when you know that a basic smartphone app can beat the world champion?
  • How can the skills learned in chess (patience, planning, sacrifice) be applied to your real professional life?
  • Would you prefer to play a fast, high-energy video game or a slow, quiet game of chess? Why?
  • Should chess be a mandatory subject in schools to help children develop logical thinking?

Activity 1: The AI vs Human Debate

The Task: You are a Chess Grandmaster. You are arguing against a Computer Scientist who believes that human chess is now dead because of AI.

Explain why human-to-human chess is still valuable and emotional.

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Strategy

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The most important part of any plan is..."
  • "A person who never takes risks will..."
  • "My favourite way to exercise my brain is..."