Malaban Main Elem School and Binan Chess Association Launches a 3-hour Chess Clinic

Malaban Main Elem School and Binan Chess Association Launches a 3-hour Chess Clinic

BCA CHESS SCHOOLS CLINIC

Coach Gerald Ferriol

8/4/20262 min read

Binan, Philippines — After finishing chess clinics in all 24 barangays covered court, Binan Chess Association started expanding chess impact to community through joint projects with schools in Binan. And yesterday, successfully launched a 3-hour chess clinic joint project with Malaban Elem Main School in its covered court.

The joint project led by BCA President NM/NT Gerald Ferriol, Digna D. Falculan, principal of Malaban Main Elem School (MMES), Sonny Bhoy Flores, adviser in BCA and MMES.

The clinic drew over 50 eager participants, ranging from elementary beginners to intermediate players. Spearheaded by the Coach Gerald, Coach Sonny and school officials the project aimed to increase interest in chess, benefits of playing chess, strengthen students' analytical skills, memory retention, and mental endurance under pressure, also fun, and engaging for everyone involved. etc.

The clinic was structured to accommodate various skill levels, breaking the students down into beginner, intermediate, and advanced pools. Guest instructors and local chess experts, including NM/NT Gerald Ferriol, led the technical sessions.

Participants engaged in comprehensive training phases:

  • Benefits of playing chess: scholarship, memory skill, logical, health, etc

  • Chess in Binan and in the Philippine: BCA chess programs and chess community and projects around the Philippines

  • Chess Movements: Rook, Bishop, Queen, King, Pawn and Knight.

  • Basic Chess Tactics: Double Attack, Pin, Removing the Defender etc

  • Chess games: Basic Chess Theories, Playing with each other and simul with Coach Gerald

Coach Gerald on action: teaching and explaining all training phrases

The Ultimate Vehicle for Personal Success

Beyond the technical skill, trophies and community prestige, the clinic emphasized chess as a practical toolkit for navigating life. The core philosophy of the training was simple: the habits built at the chessboard are the exact habits required to succeed in the real world.

Through interactive lectures, students learned how the game cultivates essential cognitive tools:

  • Critical Thinking: Analyzing multiple variables before making a move.

  • Emotional Regulation: Managing the stress of a ticking clock and recovering gracefully from mistakes.

  • Accountability: Accepting that every outcome, win or lose, is the direct result of one's own decisions.

As the clinic concluded, the rows of chessboards were packed away, but the impact of the session remained clear. The event proved that a 3-hour investment on a chessboard can spark a lifetime of intellectual curiosity. By equipping students with sharp tactics and a resilient mindset, the clinic didn't just train better chess players—it developed the next generation of strategic leaders.

Chess has always been more than just a game to us; it is a journey of self-discovery, a test of character, and a source of endless fascination and joy

Thanks for reading and good luck to our chess and life journey.

by Coach Gerald Ferriol