For thousands of kids in the DMV area, chess is more than just a game. It’s a mental challenge, plus a fun way to socialize with peers. And more and more kids are developing a true passion for the game thanks in part to Silver Knights Chess Academy. The Fairfax-based company runs clubs and classes online and in around 400 area schools.
The Academy was founded in 2006 by Adam Weissbarth, a lifelong chess player. His brother, Daniel, joined the operation shortly after. Years later, the brothers are still teaching kids the art of the game.
“We’re going to teach more than 15,000 kids chess this year across our camps and classes,” Daniel says. “That’s amazing. I could have never imagined that.”
Adam says there is growing interest in the game, especially among young kids. “If you go back 30 years ago, there was a perception that young kids couldn’t play chess [because] chess is hard,” Adam says. “I think that now it’s becoming much more accepted that young kids can learn to play. And they can get things out of playing chess that maybe they wouldn’t get somewhere else.”
In addition to playing at the clubs held at their schools, students also gather at tournaments on the weekends to engage in friendly competition. As they develop their skills, students may decide to take more advanced classes with Silver Knights coaches online to be matched up with other advanced students from different schools. Of those more advanced students, several have won state championships.
One of Silver Knights’ state champs was third grader Amelia “Mimi” Zhang. After years of practice at her school’s chess club, she took first place in the Virginia State K-3 Championships this spring. “I think it’s really cool to see a kid have a really major achievement like that,” Adam says.
“I think it’s very valuable for kids to try playing chess. … They’re going to lose at first — most people do, whether they’re kids or adults — and then they kind of stick with it. They learn a few things. They start winning some games,” Adam says. “Facing that, and then practicing and getting better and starting to win some games really builds a lot of character in young kids.”
Feature image by Maggie Roth
This story originally ran in our August issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
