French-Israeli chess player Gabriel Flom has returned to Greensboro for a series of public events.
Flom is a grandmaster, rated among the best players in the world. He teaches chess to summer day camp children at recreation centers across Greensboro.
Flom says sharing his love for the sport is a privilege, particularly seeing what young people get out of it.
"Straight away we will speak about critical thinking," he says. "You have to think and ask questions. You can't just play, play, play. It’s a complicated game and now they know how to play chess. Also, it's very important to begin something and to finish it. It's a sense of accomplishment for them and for me. So, they learn the rules of chess. And after everything, if you have a good teacher, he’s going to teach children to have self-confidence."
On Friday, Flom will be at LeBauer Park in downtown Greensboro where he’ll take on all comers — up to 100 players at one time — and lead a chess game on a giant board with pieces roughly 2 feet tall. Other public events are scheduled for July 25 and 26.