How Chess is Being Used in Nigeria’s Slums For Good

Thanks to the BBC, light has been shed upon those using chess as a force for good in the slums of Nigeria after Babatunde Onakoya, a professional chess player and coach, introduced the game to the children of Lagos’ slums.

Specifically, in the short video, you will see Babatunde, who said that the game did wonders for his own personal development, speak about the importance of the game to the children who he is introducing it to, describing some of the lessons which you can learn for it.

Interestingly, the iconic two-player competition of tactics is used to break down educational subjects such as maths, but also the idea of patience, strategy and even hope, with Babatunde stating that “In the game of chess a pawn can grow up to become a queen, you can grow up to be great even though you are still limited by this community.”

Since the start of the initiative many of the children have been vocal about the improvements it has made to their lives, with some even achieving scholarships to go study as a result of their development.

Watch the video in full below.