Chess For Kids (Las Vegas): Here at Checkmate Tournaments kids can expand their basic knowledge of chess moves and keep their inquisitive minds engaged while improving their strategic and logical skills. Checkmate Tournaments provides a number of programs to choose from: afterschool chess programs in the Las Vegas and Henderson areas, Friday and Saturday night chess tournaments in Henderson and Summerlin, math-building nights, and vocabulary and geography nights. In addition to these, we are always looking for new ways to provide a fun atmosphere for children to build basic life skills through entertaining games. Our chess programs are aimed at kids as young as 5 years-old up to maturing 16 year-olds. The programs provide an environment of friendly-competition based on skill and ranking. Checkmate Tournaments other classes cover basic English skills, geography, and mathematics in the same friendly-competition environment that we found to be excellent at promoting skills of determination, good sportsmanship, and the improvement of self-esteem learned in chess. With constant practice, children of all ages benefit from the rigorous mental workout that comes with playing chess, and grammar, geography, and mathematic games. Exercising the brain, especially from a young age, prevents mental-dulling and a loss of IQ. Whether your child considers him or herself a left-brain or a right-brain, both hemispheres benefit from: exercising critical thinking skills; requirement of visualization skills; and encourages calculated risks, concentration, and self-discipline.