From CSC pupil to CSC Tutor, a chesstimonial from Shammi Khanam

Shammi is a tutor from London whose journey in chess has been shaped by CSC all the way through. She has kindly written her up her story for us.

My chess journey began in Year 3, when a Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) tutor came into my primary school and introduced our class to the game. I really enjoyed learning and understanding the game, but after moving schools in Year 4, I didn't have many opportunities to continue playing apart from the occasional game with my dad.

At my new primary school, my teacher Satnam (Regional Organiser for Tower Hamlets) introduced chess to the class, and because I already knew how to play, I quickly grew in confidence and was encouraged by him to join the school's chess club. I went on to represent the school in competitions against other schools, and really enjoyed both the challenge of the game and being part of the team.

When I moved to secondary school, chess gradually became something I left behind. It wasn't until my second year at university where I reconnected with Satnam who had encouraged me to join the chess club all those years ago. Through him, I was introduced to the opportunity to train as a CSC tutor, bringing everything full circle.

I'm excited to give back to the programme that first introduced me to chess and, hopefully inspire other young girls like me to discover a love for chess and the confidence it can build.