Grant Mission
Finding connection through Logic and Competition
Shaolin Chess is more than just a game; it is a powerful tool designed to cultivate strategic thinking, cognitive skills, and social-emotional awareness in students. By creating small socio-biomes of competition, rooted in an analog martial arts philosophy, students learn to think ahead, anticipate their opponent's moves, and make thoughtful decisions that balance interpersonal interaction and logic.
Our grant project aims to implement and research Shaolin Chess as a structured after-school program in participating high schools, in and around the Austin TX, area. Each school will receive at least one complete game set, with students participating in weekly gameplay sessions. The students have the options to participate in teams or in an all out free for all.
The program will culminate in a district-wide tournament, providing students with an opportunity to showcase their skills, build confidence, win awards, scholarships, and strengthen their sense of community.
By exploring the impact of Shaolin Chess on student decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation, this project seeks to demonstrate the value of strategic gameplay in supporting at-risk youth. Our mission is to provide students with a constructive, engaging, and empowering alternative to passive screen time, encouraging face-to-face interactions, and personal growth.
The Challenges
While the Shaolin Chess program has great potential, it is not without challenges.
Ensuring consistent student participation, including logistical concerns, nourishment, and maintaining student engagement in strategic thinking, and effectively measuring cognitive and social-emotional growth will require careful planning and ongoing support. Additionally, coordinating with schools, securing time and space for gameplay, and training facilitators will be essential to successful implementation.
To overcome these challenges, we will work closely with school administrators and teachers to schedule consistent program sessions and ensure a dedicated space for gameplay. We will develop facilitator training materials, including instructional animations (shown at the bottom of the page) and hand guides, to maintain consistency in program delivery.
To sustain student engagement, We will enforce a no-phone policy and may need to provide transportation for students who require it, provide drinks/snacks/meals, we will also give awards, including scholarly awards to the winners of the regional tournaments.
we will use pre-, intermediate and post-season assessments to measure cognitive and social-emotional growth, ensuring that our findings are data-driven and impactful.
Below is a small collection of materials for Teachers and Students wishing for more clarification on the mechanics of the game. More to come.
If you have any more questions please send an email to Sean, the creator of Shaolin Chess.
Individual piece Mechanics
Shaolin Chess features six unique piece types, each with distinct movement patterns.
Game Mechanics
The game introduces 'Revive Points,' allowing defeated pieces to re-enter play under specific conditions. With support for 2-6 players, the game emphasizes strategic planning, adaptability, and interpersonal interaction.
Gameplay Comparisons
Shaolin Chess offers a unique balance between the tactical depth of Chess and the strategic complexity of Go, while introducing dynamic, fast-paced gameplay that neither of these classics can match.
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Chess (Complexity: Moderate, 3.5/5):
A two-player game focused on piece positioning, tactical calculation, and long-term strategy. It offers clear, consistent movement for each piece but can feel rigid due to its fixed board and lack of comeback mechanics.
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Go (Complexity: Advanced, 4.5/5):
A two-player game of territory control with infinite strategic possibilities. Despite its simple rules, the vast board and open-ended strategy can be overwhelming for beginners.
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Shaolin Chess (Complexity: Moderate to Advanced, 4/5):
Combines the strategic planning of Chess with the dynamic, multi-player interaction of Go. With six unique piece types, revive points, and two win conditions, it balances deep strategy with accessible gameplay. It can support 2-6 players, making it ideal for both one-on-one and group educational sessions.
For a wider sense of comparison I'm including other games that might make it the scale easier to understand.
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Warhammer 40,000 (Complexity: Advanced, 5/5):
A grand-scale tabletop wargame where players build customized armies from dozens of factions, each with unique units, abilities, and strategies. Gameplay combines tactical combat with strategic list-building, terrain management, and constant adaptation to an opponent’s moves. With continuously updated rules, dice-based combat, and complex synergies between units, Warhammer offers infinite depth but demands extensive rules knowledge and strategic foresight.
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Settlers of Catan (Complexity: Moderate, 2.5/5):
A popular resource management and trade game for 3-4 players, where players compete to build settlements, cities, and roads. Strategic depth comes from resource management, player negotiation, and optimal settlement placement. Luck plays a significant role through dice rolls, but strategic planning and trade negotiations are crucial to victory. It is accessible to new players but can be highly competitive among experienced players.
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Chinese Checkers (Complexity: Basic, 1.5/5):
A classic abstract strategy game played on a star-shaped board where players move colored marbles from one triangle to the opposite side. Players take turns making single moves or creating jump chains over other marbles, aiming for the fastest route across the board.
Gameplay Studies, benefits and Research Focus
Research has consistently demonstrated that strategic board games, can significantly enhance cognitive and social-emotional skills among players of all ages. For high school students, a controlled Iranian study revealed that 10th-grade boys who participated in chess instruction over a four-month period exhibited notable improvements in working memory and concentration compared to those who received no training¹. This suggests that integrating strategic board games like Shaolin Chess into after school programs may offer measurable cognitive benefits, supporting students' academic performance and self-regulation.
The benefits of strategic board games extend beyond adolescence. Among older adults, a 12-week chess intervention in a Spanish nursing home led to significant gains in overall cognitive status and executive attention, along with improved quality of life². This finding aligns with additional research from Japan, where seniors—including those with mild dementia—showed enhanced short-term memory after participating in 15 weeks of Go game lessons³. These studies emphasize the value of strategic games in maintaining cognitive health and enhancing well-being among aging populations.
Beyond cognitive gains, board games can also promote emotional and social well-being. A recent study involving 132 seniors found that participants reported significantly higher momentary well-being when playing board games than in their normal daily lives, with particularly strong effects for games of low or moderate difficulty⁴. This indicates that strategic games provide a social and emotionally enriching experience, making them valuable tools for fostering positive interactions and emotional resilience.
These findings form a compelling foundation for the Shaolin Chess program, demonstrating that structured gameplay can offer meaningful educational and social benefits. By introducing Shaolin Chess to high school students, the program aims to replicate these benefits, providing a safe, engaging, and cognitively stimulating environment that encourages strategic thinking, decision-making, and social interaction.
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Atashafrouz, Askar. "The Effectiveness of Chess on Problem-Solving, Working Memory, and Concentration of Male High School Students." Iranian Evolutionary and Educational Psychology Journal, vol. 1, no. 4, 2019, pp. 249–258.
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Cibeira, N., et al. "Effectiveness of a Chess-Training Program for Improving Cognition, Mood, and Quality of Life in Older Adults: A Pilot Study." Geriatric Nursing, vol. 42, no. 4, 2021, pp. 894–900.
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Iizuka, Ai, et al. "Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the GO Game Intervention on Cognitive Function." American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias, vol. 33, no. 3, 2018, pp. 192–198.
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Cès, Pierre, et al. "Playing Board Games to Increase Emotional Competencies in School-Age Children and Older People: A Systematic Review." Leisure Sciences, vol. 46, no. 4, 2024, pp. 1–24. Taylor & Francis,