CHESS FOR OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT: HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This article discusses the development, implementation and future of the “Chess for Overall Development” project, which was started in the city of Satka (Russia) in 2004 and continues to this day. Initially, this project aimed to create and test an experimental educational methodology that would achieve the positive impact of playing chess on the development of student’s intellectual culture. This technology is based on the Cultural-historical psychology of development by L. S. Vygotsky and other practical-oriented approaches, including the most important one, the Reflective-Activity approach. The main aim is to create the conditions for developing a mental plan of action and student’s subjectness position for an individual path of development and education for everybody. The results of the longitudinal study are presented. They show the effect of chess on the development of high psychic functions for the students and for their successful education as a whole. The experience of the project includes examples of successful work with disabled children and adults. The modern stage of the project is the transfer of its experience to the school and kindergarten teachers of other regions of Russia.