Three-Time U.S. Women's Chess Champion Starts Own Chess Program

WGM Anjelina Belakovskaia came to the U.S. as a rebellious teenager and, through discipline and determination learned from the School of Hard Knocks, created a brand new life for herself. Along the way, she happened to win three U.S. Women's Chess Championship titles (1995 co-title, 1996, 1999) - but that's another story :)

From The Arizona Daily Star Online
Chess champ starts program to help kids develop life skills
Alexis Huicochea Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 12:00 am

Unable to find a suitable chess program for her 6-year-old son, Anjelina Belakovskaia took matters into her own hands.

The three-time U.S. women's chess champion launched an academy in the Catalina Foothills where she began to work not only with her own son but with other children as well.

Before launching the program, Belakovskaia wanted to test the waters, so she started a summer session at Mathnasium, 4777 E. Sunrise Drive, Suite 127.

Nearly a dozen children enrolled to learn the game of chess, but little did they know that their instructor intended to teach them about life as well.

"It's about developing strategy, logic, creativity, improving memory and building self-confidence," Belakovskaia said. She knows her program will work, having taught it in New York for five years and being a product of it herself.

"It's a comprehensive program on how to use your brain to its fullest potential," Belakovskaia said. "I teach the kids not to rush decisions - don't look for the most obvious move; look at the different possibilities. The same goes for life - if you do something, what is going to happen afterward, and how will you react to the situation?"

Pleased with how quickly her students were developing, Belakovskaia decided to continue the program and expand it to include three levels - beginner, intermediate and advanced.

Rest of article.

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More on Angelina Belakovskaia:

Chess for Parents - How to Teach Your Child
An older personal website that contains links to some interesting articles
List of U.S. Women's Chess Champions with a brief history of women chess champions in the USA, from the St. Louis Chess Club
Chess games of Angelina  Belakovskaia, from Chessgames.com
Wikipedia biography