Chess:
a combination of individual and group training

founder of the chess club "Ferzinizm"

Masha Mikulina

cybathlete

Albina Ismailova

■ chessboard with pieces
■ Jenga
■ paper

There are three objectives of chess training.

The first is to motivate the child to use the prosthesis, and improve the skill of using it.

The second goal is to socialize the child in a group, so that other children get used to the prosthesis, don’t get scared, and removed stereotypes and barriers so that children develop together.

The third is to get the child interested in chess, and get them to want to develop in the sport.

Break the practice into two parts. The first is small tasks to work on motor skills of the prosthesis, practicing different actions like lifting the pieces and sliding them. The second is group games.

Start with a warm-up with Jenga blocks. The task is to place them on different block surfaces. Then move on to exercises with pieces.

Exercises or games with pieces can vary: “Chess Target”, “Mirror”, “Fishing”, “Jump Jump” and more. See how to perform them in the video. Each exercise can be performed in a basic or more complex form.

Games and exercises for the group part of the lesson can also vary: "Chess Charades”, “Bughouse Chess”, and exercises on memorizing the arrangement of pieces and others.

Training of fine motor skills is necessary for absolutely all users of prosthetic arms. This video is a treasure trove of algorithms and recommendations for such training. I would like to highlight a few of them:

Make sure that the child does not raise the shoulder of the prosthesis arm. By doing this, the child compensates for some awkwardness and muscle tension. This is common at first classes, and in one-to-one work, you should pay attention to this right away and try to avoid it. This is important because constantly raising the shoulder causes muscle strain. If it becomes a habit, it can have a negative impact on the child’s posture.

Training, focused on the interest of the child is the best investment of time and effort. Chess means chess. It can be replaced with cars, applications, Jenga, Lego – basically, anything.

1)

Always start with something simple, a few objects of larger size and maximum space between them. Objects should fit in the hand of the prosthesis.

2)

The correct logic of forming a class is individual work. It is necessary for initial training of the child and creating confidence in their movements. Then they can join other children for integration and interaction.

3)

Alina Kuzyakina

Pediatrician, doctor of physical therapy and sports medicine.
Author of rehabilitation and preparation for prosthetics techniques.