America's Foundation for Chess

America's Foundation for Chess (AF4C) is a nonprofit chess foundation based in Bellevue, Washington, United States, a suburb of Seattle.[1] It was founded in June 2000 by Scott Oki and Laurie Oki as the Seattle Chess Foundation.[2][3] Entrepreneur Erik Anderson and grandmaster Yasser Seirawan are also credited as founders of America's Foundation for Chess.[4][5]

America's Foundation for Chess
FormationJune 2000; 24 years ago (2000-06)
FounderErik Anderson, Laurie and Scott Oki, Yasser Seirawan
TypeNon-profit
Legal statusFoundation
PurposeChess education
HeadquartersBellevue, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°38′28″N 122°11′31″W / 47.641°N 122.192°W / 47.641; -122.192
AffiliationsUnited States Chess Federation
Websitewww.firstmovechess.org
Formerly called
Seattle Chess Foundation

The foundation was originally formed downtown Seattle, in the Norton Building, and soon after moved into the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. It eventually ended up at Carillon Point, in suburban Kirkland, Washington,[6] and moved to Bellevue in 2013.[7]

AF4C sponsored the U.S. Chess Championship starting in 1999.[5]

First Move

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The foundation's First Move curriculum uses chess as a learning tool in second and third grade classrooms to teach critical and creative thinking skills and improve overall academic achievement. First Move is taught one hour per week, over the course of the school year. The Chess Lady teaches the curriculum via streaming video, classroom teachers facilitate the activities and can learn with their students. In 2014-15 the program will serve about 140,000 students across the United States and a few schools internationally.

See also

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Notes and references

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Notes

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  1. ^ McClain 2005a.
  2. ^ Tice 2002.
  3. ^ Kaech 2003.
  4. ^ Forbes 2013.
  5. ^ a b Ramirez 2000.
  6. ^ Christensen 2007.
  7. ^ "Good news: First Move is growing!". Official blog. America's Foundation for Chess. September 11, 2013. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-09.

References

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