Should parents make a special effort to encourage their daughters to learn and play chess?

[Boojatta]

[stray cat]

1. Chess teaches people to think, plan ahead and calculate odds and outcomes

we should teach it to all students and encourage chess clubs for children and adult.

[EFerrari]

2. Yes. My chess champ uncle taught my brother to play chess

even though he was completely uninterested.

I LOVED chess and couldn't get him to spend the time of day with me. And HELL YES, I'm resentful. lol

[HereSince1628]

3. Only if it isn't Strip Chess.

My older brother thought that up in 1959. He got the neighborhood girls to take off a clothing article for every piece they lost.
Few people wear 16 articles of clothing. His neighborhood chess tournament didnt make it to the first end-game.

[Gman]

4. Yes...

chess develops logic, strategy, problem solving and even math skills.

[Thirtieschild]

5. I learned to play chess from my father, taught both my son and my daughter

Both still play, love the game.

edited for typo

[ejpoeta]

6. i was not aware there was some sort of gender inequality with chess.

i would gladly teach my daughter if she is interested. she is, actually. whether that includes actually sitting and learning is another thing. LOL! I am not very good at chess myself, but I do enjoy playing every now and again. if i can find someone else who wants to play.

[EFerrari]

8. My liberal progressive brother has three girls.

I doubt any of them know how to play because they've been steered into "girl" stuff.

There's a big fat hanging gender inequality.

I myself think it's because men are bad losers. :evilgrin:

[ejpoeta]

9. wow!! i do know about being steered into girl stuff.

i got all kinds of barbie dolls and tea sets as a kid. my brother got cool stuff like matchbox cars and video games. that was such bullshit! i mutilated my barbie dolls, giving them black eyes and chopping off their hair. I was never pink, frilly.... but look at me now. not pink and frilly, but a stay at home mom. but it was by choice. my eldest daughter has always been frilly, pink.... and LOVES all things girl. she loves barbie dolls. i hated it, but i got them for her. she just likes them. that's her. i am not pushing it on her. and when i hear her say anything is for 'boys' and not girls.... oh do I go off. i tell her she can do anything she wants to do. there is no 'boy' things and 'girl' things. and any time any boys try to say that it is because they are afraid they'll get beat by a girl. LOL!

[aikoaiko]

7. Finally, a boojatta question/poll I understand -- my answer YES

[TaffyMoon]

10. Yes, because not one male would teach me - just because I was

a girl - they really believed I couldn't learn to play. In the end my teenage son taught me, and it wasn't long before I beat him!

[InkAddict]

11. Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen set the bar way, way up for

fantasy co-ed chess playing in The Thomas Crown Affair - no? Recalling it, just now, I sure wish someone had taught me the game. Alas, who knew it was sexy and one could wind up swirled around in a slow-hand rush by cameras and tiled???

[cynatnite]

12. It's one of many options when it comes to challenging children n/t

[LWolf]

13. Other:

I think students should learn to play chess for the intellectual benefit it offers, regardless of gender.

[AlCzervik]

14. yes, Risk also.

[tannybogus]

15. Chess is great!

My brother and I used to have Chess Death Matches. We both HATED to lose,

so checkmate brought out mayhem. The Mama Gambit would end that though.

[jcla]

16. Chess should be available to all children...

I always thought of it as a co-ed sport. Equal footing... no big muscles ... no running... no throwing (except when the guys lost...)

[Starbucks Anarchist]

17. Are you on drugs or off of them?

[vanderBeth]

18. I think it should be made available to all children.

I didn't know it was a boy thing.

[Tindalos]

19. I taught myself to play chess.

My parents never encouraged to be girlie or discouraged me from being a tomboy. I taught myself to play chess because I was curious.
I don't play anymore because I didn't really like it.

[Madam Mossfern]

20. What's a "special effort"?

Do you mean as opposed to ballet lessons?

FYI, both my daughter and my oldest son took ballet lessons as both my daughter and my sons learned how to play chess and how to do laundry.

Oh, BTW, it was my son who ended up dancing with our state ballet group ... my daughter just refused to participate, she was kicked out.

[Boojatta]

21. Kick to elicit more votes and more comments.

[Nikia]

22. I learned to play before even going to school

I wasn't raised to be limited by my gender in the activities I pursued. Even though I did not play often, I generally beat every who I played that didn't compete in tournaments. In college, they had started a chess club, but after losing in their tournament and attending a few meetings, I decided that it wasn't worth my while to pursue it. If I hadn't had a bunch of other committments, perhaps I would have pursued it, but being a varsity athlete, sorority member, active in a religious organization, working a few hours every week, and majoring in a lab science didn't leave me a lot of time and energy for the level of committment that I would have had to undertake to win in competitions where most of the competitors were devoting a lot of time and energy.
Considering how most of your other polls go, I assume that you have another point. It is important for parents to encourage their daughters to pursue science, math, and technological fields because these fields often pay better than traditionally feminine fields. Many people concerned about girls lagging behind in these subjects are concerned for this practical reason.

[margotb822]

23. When I was about four,

my dad tried to teach me how to play chess. Well, he did, but every time I started losing, I'd knock the pieces off and play "wedding" instead. Just thought I'd share...