Like Duke Ellington before him, Kyseme Ali Ellington hits all the right notes. But instead of composing, arranging and leading a world class jazz band, Ali leads a dedicated cadre of tutors who have reached about 100,000 souls with this ancient games of kings. The success of the outfit he co-founded along with his wife Neisha, Chess Tutors, has earned Mr. Ellington the moniker, The Duke of Chess.

With rhymes, poems and music, Ali makes learning this ancient game of kings, fun. But don’t you dare tell him “it’s just a game.” Mr. Ellington sees chess as a powerful effective tool to instill logic, personal responsibility and an appreciation for intellectual wherewithal in children. “Like few other reasoning activities,”he says “chess provides immediate consequences and immediate rewards. In this way, a child can learn a month’s worth of life lessons in a single chess match.”

Now, for the first time, The Duke of Chess is offering some of his acclaimed Chess-Life Strategies™ and chess instructional materials in the now available CD and book. “I’mpossible ChessLife Strategies™ for Children and Young Adults” is a highly engaging book that—for the first time ever—inspired by actual events, encourages children to apply the logic of the game of chess to their real life decisions and choices in a practical way. The first story, inspired by some dramatically instructive moments in Ali’s childhood, allows a child to discover the value of strategy in their daily lives. The first of the three books scheduled for release, March 2010 (now available).
Entertaining for children, but fascinating enough for adults, you’ll enjoy reading this with your third or fourth grader, while your middle and high school children will happily read it on their own. You may find your kids marvelling at how Ali turns a neighborhood of tough boxers into a tame troupe of chess players. And in the second Book “Everything Speaks” they’ll laugh as Ali totally mishandles the first large sum of money his parents entrust to his care. Values of honesty, loyalty, trust and personal responsibility are thoroughly explored throughout the book~. You won’t find a more entertaining or carefully crafted incentive to initiate discussion on these sometimes very touchy issues.

The CD titled “The Game of Life Rhymes” is an exciting collection of hip hop chess songs. A collage of new and a few familiar beats support catchy lyrics that not only extol the game of chess, but teach and reinforce the movement of the pieces and the object of the game. Everyone will have their favorites—from the Rook Song to the Knight Song, but each song is a surefire hit. It may be hard to imagine your child dancing to songs about chess, but that’s exactly what they’ll be doing when they hear “The Game of Life Rhymes.”