Watch kids playing chess, and you can see masters of tactics and strategy being born. "It's very dynamic for children," says Michael Zadorozny, 58, a chess expert and author who was teaching a class at the Ferguson Library. "It adds a dimension that, I think, goes beyond regular classroom teaching.
Zadorozny teaches the game to youngsters throughout Fairfield County, visiting schools and community centers as well as libraries. The passion seized him at age seven and never let go. Seven of his scholastic teams have reached the national championships.
While teaching, Zadorozny sounds like a kid himself, lapsing into comical voices and telling funny stories to get his points across. "How many people think a queen can do anything she wants?" he asked. Many hands shot up. "Let the queen tell you what she can do," he answered, adopting a high-pitched voice to explain the moves. The children giggled.
H?u???mor ?wasnt always his method. I used to be just like your average chess teacher, he says. It was getting a little stale and I wanted something to entertain myself, too. Ive come to the conclusion that if you can get into the kids world, you can put anything you want into that world.
Zadorozny spent 20 years as a computer professional. Today, he's in transition--considering a new job, working on a four-book series for teaching chess and setting up the National Educational Chess Association, to promote the game. He has two previous books to his credit: Learning to Checkmate, for new players, and Teaching Chess Step by Step, which he co-authored.
Zadorozny came to Stamford with his family in 1965. He lived here until last month, when he temporarity took up residence in Ansonia while considering a New York-based computer technology job. Hell always call Stamford home, he says. Im connected to Stamford.
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