From New York’s Bravest, Finest To The Chess Board

“The thing about a pawn is that they’re brave. They may be small, but they never run away. They only move forward,” said Joe Miccio.

Miccio is a Sheepshead Bay native, a retired firefighter and police officer, and a chess teacher. He spent 33 years as a firefighter in Queens, and 10 years as a police officer in Brooklyn. He is currently working on a computer version of his chess-teaching program, QuickChess.

QuickChess is a unique way of learning the ancient game. It involves mini-games using certain pieces which allow the user to learn how each piece moves, operates, and fits in with the grander strategy of the board, according to Miccio.

For 25 years, Micco has been teaching children the challenging game of chess. It has been a rewarding experience for him, which is why he is expanding the program so that schools can take part in teaching their children the game of chess.

Chess was invented in India during the 6th century and is linked to high intelligence among players. Miccio has seen this first-hand many times in his decades of teaching the strategy game to children.

“It [chess] teaches kids patience and how to take down bigger opponents with smaller pieces by thinking out each move and using strategy to stay a step ahead,” said Miccio.

These lessons apply to real-life situations. According to Miccio, learning chess is a great tool in being able to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

QuickChess’ online version is being crowdfunded through Kickstarter with the goal of $55,000. It is currently at about $7,000 with 29 days to go. It has already received numerous awards, such as the Parents’ Choice Gold award, Dr. Toy Best Children’s Vacation Products, the National Parenting Publications Gold Award, Top Kids Games of the Year by Game Magazine, among many others.

Chess masters Susan Polgar and Bruce Pandolfini both have endorsed the program. Polgar, a child chess prodigy, and four-time Women’s World Chess Champion, will be designing a number of challenges for the next generation, digital QuickChess program.

“Playing chess has countless benefits. It teaches discipline; it improves concentration; it develops problem-solving and decision-making skills. QuickChess is a quick and easy entrance into a challenging game, especially for kids,” said Polgar.