Educator Anthonyquiame Jackson-Bey, 33, started “Chess Lords” last October with support from his non-profit organization, Bey Foundation. Jackson-Bey, who grew up in a housing project where many of P.S. 36 students live, says this program will teach at-risk children discipline and critical thinking skills, and serve as an outlet where they can work together rather than fight. DNA info reports on the story:

HARLEM — Standing on the opposite sides of a life-sized chess board, Maurice Campbell, 10 and Jhiana Evans, 11, fifth-graders at P.S. 36 in Harlem, rattled off commands that sent their classmates scurrying to white or black squares.

“Knight to F3,” said Campbell who was wearing a white shirt with the letter K for king. “Pawn takes E5,” said Evans, wearing a white t-shirt with Q for queen.

Both had only a rudimentary understanding of the game before participating in Chess Lords, a human interactive chess program where kids learn by acting as pieces on a chess board.

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