Mount Vernon Mayor Faces Off With Student Chess Club at City Hall

From QuickChess: Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas joined the inventor of a best-selling and patented chess teaching system to face off against students from the Amani Charter School chess club at City Hall today, and several students came away winners.

Game inventor Joe Miccio gave students, from 6th to 8th grade, lessons on how to use QuickChess, the teaching game he created, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the North American International Toy Fair this weekend at the Javits Center. After the lessons, Mayor Thomas and Mr. Miccio played simultaneous chess games against the students, four of whom beat the adults.

The victorious students went home with a copy of QuickChess.

QuickChess is a unique board game that teaches competitive chess skills in 10 minutes by breaking the game down into eight different mini-games focusing on each piece’s moves and attacks. Mr. Miccio invented the game while working as a rookie FDNY firefighter in New York City. He is also a former NYPD sergeant.

“On the eve of the 2017 North American Toy Fair, Mount Vernon is proud to host the inventor of QuickChess, who debuted this game 25 years ago at the Javits Center. Joe Miccio serves as a role model for our youth who are our future entrepreneurs and thought leaders.” Mayor Thomas said. “We honor Mr. Miccio’s service as a firefighter and a police officer and we appreciate his sharing this valuable invention. QuickChess enables parents to spend quality time with their kids, teaching them critical thinking as part of a timeless game of chess. This easy to learn and fun activity is something for all ages. I want to thank the Amani Charter School chess club for coming here and displaying their considerable skills.”

“Not all of today’s games have to be app-based or electronic to be fun,” said Mr. Miccio. “Chess is known as the Game of Kings and the competition from the students at the Amani Charter School was very strong. I am extremely impressed with their abilities. This event kicks off the 25th anniversary year for QuickChess, which debuted at the 1992 North American Toy Fair in New York City.”

QuickChess, which has sold over a quarter million copies domestically and internationally, will be at booth #4211 this weekend at the Javits Center. QuickChess has won many prestigious awards: Parents' Choice Gold, Dr. Toy Best Children's Vacation Products, National Parenting Publications Gold Award, Top Kids Games of the Year – Games Magazine, Three Star Award – Canadian Toy Testing Council, National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award, and the United Kingdom's Good Toy Award.

The 2017 Toy Fair will have: 1,126 total exhibitors, 11,000 registered buyers and will attract more than 30,000 registrants on behalf of over 13,000 toy sellers in over 100 countries. The toy industry represents a massive $26 billion per year industry in the United States.

Students who played against Mayor Richard Thomas were:

• Adrian Alduey*
• Gavin McIntosh*
• Dameer Matthews
• Blake Francis
• Students playing against Mr. Miccio were:
• Garth McIntosh
• Kasani Dixon
• Joi Miller*
• Asia Service
• Bria James
• Abigale Randall*
• Gabrielle Riley

*denotes winners of the game

Image via QuickChess