Like many other nations in the world, American schools help prepare students for the future by teaching them math, English, science, history, art, foreign language, and physical education.

That's a good variety of subjects, but there's something that seems missing, something to get away from the often stifling formality of academics.

I've always wanted to see chess classes incorporated into the American education. Chess has taught me to accept losing and to never give up. Chess helps develop character and essential skills such as sportsmanship, patience, self-esteem, a stronger memory, and improved concentration. According to America’s Foundation for Chess, there are currently 30 nations in the world that have integrated chess into their scholastic curricula. Why can’t America be another?

Today, my wishes were confirmed when my journalism teacher showed me a column by writing teacher Christopher “Chip” Scanlan called “Can Chess Make Us Better Writers?” In this article, Scanlan reflects on a recent New York Times article about a chess program called First Move for second and third graders in Idaho.

My reaction to this article was: Awesome, this is finally happening. Unlike in many other Western countries, the history of chess does not go far back in America. Almost no one cared about chess in the U.S. until 1972, when Bobby Fischer beat the Russian world champion Boris Spassky in the Match of the Century. Even currently, the recognition of chess in America compared to England, Russia, and other European nations is still small.

However, chess in the U.S. has made been slowly gaining popularity. People are definitely becoming more and more aware of the impact chess has on learning. The integration of chess into the Idaho curriculum is a step forward. The initiative Idaho has taken can be followed by other states and can become a nationwide practice. Hopefully, chess will be eventually incorporated into the American elementary education and young students will benefit from it.