Hot Topic: The New Documentary “Brooklyn Castle” Is All About Life Lessons In Chess

I came away from watching “Brooklyn Castle,” a documentary about the champion chess team at Brooklyn’s I.S. 318 which opens this weekend, with a strong sense of two things: one, the middle schoolers featured in the film were all kids I would like to know; and two, if these kids are to be our future leaders, than we are in a really great place, historically speaking. And, too, that I had better get my own kid started with chess, STAT.

Okay, that’s three things. But it’s true: the film makes a strong case for chess not only as an important educational tool, but as training for a life well-lived. Chess is a life-kind-of-game, and we see its promises at work in the way the students at I.S. 318 approach their wins and losses, both on and off the chessboard.

The film follows the story of five kids as they maneuver through chess tournaments, school work, school budget cuts, and immense internal and external pressures. One thing is ringingly clear: these children are not pawns. They understand that the responsibility for their lives is in their hands. And chess helps them in subtle and deeply powerful ways to navigate the choices and obstacles they face:

Pobo, a twelve-year-old with high political aspirations runs for school council (“Vote Pobama!”); when afterschool programs are threatened due to deep budget cuts, Pobo leads the student and parent body in a campaign to raise funds for the school. Rochelle, at age 13, is on the brink of becoming the youngest African American female chess master, and on top of that, she takes it upon herself to win a full ride to college.  Justus, a ten-year-old chess prodigy, must learn to how to handle pressure and defeat (a new thing for him!) with grace and renewed determination. Alexis, a driven and ambitious twelve-year-old, sees chess as a ticket to a better life for himself and his immigrant family. And Patrick, my favorite of the group, strives not to be number 1 on the team, but number 55 or 56: he struggles with ADD and chess helps him improve his concentration. He goes after it with vigor.

This film is a joyful story about some really cool kids and the teachers who work their butts off for them. It’s a story about a school deeply invested in its students, battling a continually shrinking budget in a financial climate that vilifies teachers and schools. It’s a story, ultimately, that makes you want join the fight to work for our kids who, like the kids at I.S. 318, are learning to be engaged citizens. The fabulous chess team is in danger of being cut, once again, as are invaluable afterschool programs in schools all over this city.

At the end of the day, what this film shows is that something like chess can be a game changer for so many kids, and it highlights this one point above all others: until we start investing in our kids and fighting for quality education in our schools, we are all in check.

Where to learn chess in Manhattan:

• Chess NYC, chessnyc.com
• Chess-In-The-Schools, chessintheschools.org
• Educational Light: School of Chess, educationallight.com
• The Marshall Chess Club, marshallchessclub.org
• NYChessKids, nychesskids.com