Letter: Chess education

KIRSAN ILYUMZHINOV may be labelled eccentric ("Russia's black knight makes a global move", 25 February), but he is right about chess helping the child's intellectual development. As a coach I teach chess to groups and one-to-one, and I am convinced that it deserves equal status in education with maths and music.

Young offenders should be given chess tuition. It would teach them to be aware of the consequences of their actions, and channel their aggression into a mind sport.

TONY BLADES

Birkenhead,

Merseyside