Closing Remarks by Minister of State for Education Ms Jasmin Lau at the 77th National Schools Individual Chess Championships

Dr Wong Meng Kong, Treasurer of the Singapore Chess Federation

Mr Kevin Goh, CEO of the Singapore Chess Federation

Parents, teachers, coaches

Boys and girls,

1. Good afternoon, everybody. It's amazing to see so many students and parents in OCBC Arena.

2. I've only been here to play basketball, so this feels completely different. It is also amazing because this is my first time watching chess in person and looking at a crowd so big, it tells me how much chess has developed in Singapore over the years.

3. I attended events every week in the recent month, and all I talked about was AI. I'm glad that today I don't have to say much about AI, as our children here today are playing against fellow humans.

4. Many parents who are thinking about which activity or sport to send their child to may ask - why should I consider chess? I often tell them that it does not really matter what sport you choose, but choose a sport. Any sport, like chess, will teach our young people many good qualities in life that they will treasure as they grow up.

1. For example, many of our chess competitors will feel physically affected in every game. They will feel their hearts beating faster as the clock runs down. They will feel their brains and backs getting tired, and they are forced to make a very difficult decision every minute. That is exactly how life feels for many of us adults.
2. For all our students who engage in chess, it is about learning life lessons that they will value as they grow up. The pressure that many of them feel in a chess game or competition also teaches them how to stay calm under stress. Stress will hit them in many different ways when they grow up. They must learn how not to overreact and how to stay emotionally composed because they will have to do so in their lives in future years.
3. The third lesson is that in chess, we learn how to lose. For many of us who have competed in sports before, you will remember the losses more than the wins. You will remember every step and decision which you made that may have resulted in the loss, and you will think about the game repeatedly, day after day. Those are what will stick with us as we grow older and the lessons that will stick with our competitors today, even if they walk away without the top prize.

5. I want to encourage all the parents here to focus on the valuable lessons that your children have taken away, even if they didn't win. They will remember what it feels like to know that they could have done something differently. I urge parents to use this chance to teach them something about life and about coming back stronger for the next round.

6. Through chess, I hope that all our children here are able to find a passion, hobby or interest that they can hold onto for many more years into their adulthood.

7. To all parents and teachers today, thank you very much for your support to all our young chess players in Singapore. To all students, I want to encourage all of you to keep striving in your own chess journey, no matter how you have done today or in any of the competitions. Remember that you have tried your best, and you will always have another chance to do better next time. Keep playing, keep learning and keep being uniquely human.

8. Thank you very much.