Chess enthusiasts encourage youth to check out this empowering game

Chess fires both sides of the brain, fuels friendships and provides fun for people of all ages around the world.  Historians may debate the geographical roots of this ancient board game but they all agree it has flourished for centuries despite competing trends.

Chess mavens Mark Cohen, 49, and David Steiner, 48, credit their respective parents for introducing them to the game when they were in elementary school. Intent on sharing their knowledge and passion for chess, they have reached out to the community by facilitating clubs and classes.  Although both men lead busy lives and have other interests, they value chess as an empowering game.

An English professor at Vanier College, Cohen resides in Cote St. Luc with his wife and their 12-year-old daughter. A native Torontonian, Cohen grew up in North York and has fond memories of playing on the Mackenzie High School chess team. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1989, Cohen attained his Ph.D. in English literature at McGill and a graduate diploma in journalism at Concordia.  He didn’t play much chess from 1992-2007 but his enthusiasm never waned. Since Cohen is the lone chess enthusiast at home, he decided to seek a venue in the community.

Two years ago, he met with administrators at the Eleanor London Cote St. Luc Public Library. Cohen volunteered to set up and facilitate a club open to players, ages 14-plus, at all levels. His idea was well-received and the library supports the active program. The Cote St. Luc adult chess club meets once a week.  Last year, Steiner dropped into the club and expressed an interest in organizing chess instruction for children at the beginner’s level.  An experienced educator, Cohen knew children would benefit and offered to help. Subsequently, they approached library personnel, who agreed to pilot a series of beginner chess lessons for children, ages 7 and older. Children attended Steiner’s introductory sessions last summer. A fall series drew another group of beginners, who met after school for four sessions.

Mark Cohen teaches children how to play chess. 

(Photo courtesy of David Steiner)

“We have an ideal set-up in the multi-purpose room off the children’s library,” Steiner said. “Children pick up the game quickly.”

Steiner has been active in local chess circles for years. Besides engaging in adult games and officiating at tournaments, he organizes children’s chess games and lessons at community centres. He belongs to Association Echecs et Maths, which is under the umbrella of Canada’s National Scholastic Chess Association.  The organization oversees chess activities in schools on the island of Montreal. “We have about 500 kids, ages 8 to 16, participating on weekends in various tournaments around the city,” he observes.

Chess nurtures the brain and children learn to focus but they also have fun, Steiner explains.  He takes pride in facilitating a group at  JPPS-Bialik. The lunch-time activity draws 20 avid players. “They welcome the strategy, creative moves and overall challenges that go with the game," he says. "They even write down moves and study to see if they made a mistake. Chess is addictive. So many combinations are possible that no two games are the same. In Cuba, they teach chess as part of the curriculum. It is an international language.”

Marlene Goldberg Schwartz: Mother’s suggestion sets stage for harmonious lifestyle

Marlene (née Goldberg) Schwartz credits her mother for calling attention to a newspaper notice in 1990 announcing auditions for The Lyric Theatre Singers, then a newly launched choral offshoot of The Lyric Theatre.

Initially, Schwartz, then 40, was reluctant but ultimately followed her mother’s initiative.  For the past 25 consecutive years, she has performed at holiday and annual concerts. Singers range in age from 18-plus and Schwartz say the annual influx of young talent raises the bar. Schwartz, was among 48 Lyric Theatre Singers, who performed in “Back to Broadway” in June.

Marlene Schwartz

“I have been hooked on Lyric since the first rehearsal,” she said, “and I had not been in a choir since grade school.” Nevertheless, Schwartz was familiar with the milieu.   

 “I’ve always loved music and I was already playing the piano at 5,” she recalls. “At 13, my friend and I learned to play the guitar, harmonize and perform.” 

 Marlene and her husband Ben Schwartz have been married for 42 years and moved to Chomedey in 1977. They are the proud parents of two sons, 40 and 38, a daughter, 34, and six grandchildren, ages 3-13.

When their daughter began nursery school, Marlene volunteered to serve as a music specialist but was informed the school had to abide by union hiring rules. “So, I said, ‘then go ahead and hire me,’ and that they did,” she relates, and after 31 years she’s still at it.

Schwartz  engages youngsters five mornings and two afternoons a week at Jewish community daycares in Snowdon, the West Island and the Centre Communautaire Juif. On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, Schwartz heads over to CPE Ganeynou-Notre Jardin and CPE Sepharade.  She sings, plays a keyboard, and her budding musicians join in with their rhythm band.  

“The little ones are so advanced today,” she said, commenting on their grasp of concepts, lyrics and melodies. “I also focus on themes, such as seasons, that relate to the daycare program. I love to use puppets and storytelling props.”

Schwartz is convinced her continuous exposure to choral work through Lyric boosts her teaching. “I’ve learned so much from Bob Bachelor (founder of Lyric Theatre Singers). We retrieve the music from Dropbox to study at home. I also record all the rehearsals because we memorize the lyrics. Usually, the sopranos sing the melodies and the rest of us assume the harmony.” The singers belt out upbeat and romantic Broadway hits. “No matter how long we’ve been in the choir, we audition every year and that keeps us focused.”

Hubby Ben lends support as a photographer for the group. Marlene also serves as Section Head and Rehearsal Manager.  It’s a labor of love for president Louise Dorais and everyone connected with the organization. Although they have career and family commitments, they devote many hours to rehearsals. October marks the 50^th anniversary for the parent theatre company, which stages book musicals, and the 25th for the choral component. Theatre alumni and singers will celebrate the milestone on stage.

 Marlene Schwartz’s musical pursuits keep her focused.