There’s Spanish and Swedish. People speak Hindi and Hebrew too. There are thousands of languages. But Russell Makofsky believes one is global. It’s chess!
“Chess is the universal language,” said Makofsky. “It allows us to share humanity and love.” Makofsky wanted to share that with kids. He founded the Gift of Chess. The has given away thousands of chess sets. In March 2022, it 500 more to children in Africa.
Tyrone Davis brought the chess sets from New York City. He flew to Lagos, Nigeria. Then he rode a boat to the community of Makoko. That’s where he gave the sets to young players.
Davis learned chess from YouTube. He became a chess master! That earned Davis a scholarship at a top college. So, he got to go for free. “Chess changed my life,” said Davis. “It gave me the to focus,” he added. Davis hopes the gift of chess gives kids in Lagos the chance “to change their own lives.”
Lagos is a huge city. Many areas are poor. Those include Makoko. Makofsky believes children there can be chess masters too. “Kids play chess on the same board and the same rules,” he explained. Makofsky said money doesn’t matter in chess. “Anybody can sit across the board and be equal.”
Benjamin Kisegbeji agrees. He is a 12-year-old from Lagos. He said he is “grateful” for the Gift of Chess. “I can finally teach my friends how to play chess!”
Kids are now playing on their new sets in Lagos. They are forming their own chess clubs. But this is just the start. The Gift of Chess plans to send 5,000 more sets to Nigeria. Makofsky believes kids can learn valuable lessons. He said chess “teaches patience and critical thinking.” It shows the value of hard work too. “The kids who work the hardest in chess are rewarded with success.”
Benjamin saw another lesson in the gift of chess. He explained:
“It is possible to do great things from a small place.”
Updated March 28, 2022, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
