Chess in Schools- Library suggestions

Chess in Schools, A Report on the Teaching of Chess, prepared by The Teaching Sub-Committee of Chess Education Society, edited by I.R. Vesselo, London, 1945, is the only book in the Chess in Education section (49) of Betts. Betts gives a date of 1943 but my copy states "first published in 1945". However, two further books relating to school chess are included in Betts section 2 on Organization. These are; Betts 2-8, Organization of the School Chess Club by the Chess Education Society, and Betts 2-10, Chess for Schools by A.F.Stammwitz, Pelham Books, London, 1966.

The Chess Education Society was formed in 1943 and a Teaching Sub-Committee was entrusted with the task of investigating the position of chess in schools and of making recommendations for its improvement. This Report includes two syllabuses and many useful suggestions for teachers.

Many well known chess personalities of the period were involved with this project including B.Goulding Brown, E.G.R.Cordingley, T.R.Dawson, R.C.Griffiths, C.S.Kipping, D.J.Morgan, H.J.R.Murray, Miss E.Saunders, P.W.Sergeant, A.R.B.Thomas, Sir G.A.Thomas and B.H.Wood, 

The book includes The Chess Library, Some Suggestions and lists 42 works in eight categories. These are mostly very common chess books but this is an excellent opportunity to present some of the popular classics from the first half of the twentieth century.

Page 1 of the Chess Library suggestions

Page 2 of the Chess Library suggestions

Note that the dust jacket of Alekhine's My Best Games of Chess 1923-1937 (reprint dated 1945) has been over-printed on previously used paper, no doubt due to paper shortages at the time. 

                                       © Michael Clapham 2016