Ken Lee, Vice President of Michael Wiese Productions (the number one publisher in the world for books for indie filmmakers and writers), has been playing chess with his 10-year-old son. Or it may be more accurate to say that much of the time he is learning chess from his 10-year-old son.

Not only is this process a ton of fun, but it is actually important for his son’s socioemotional development as well. As kids grow they begin to see their parent’s flaws and limitations and that’s a good thing. At the same time that they are realizing their parents do not know and cannot do absolutely everything, they are learning and growing in what they themselves are capable of.

This can be an uncomfortable part of growth and opportunities where it feels genuinely fun are rare. Ken and his son have stumbled upon one such opportunity as Ken’s son often coaches Ken on what to do (or not do!) in chess. “Dad, you might want to rethink that move…”

Ken sees opportunity for ample connection through chess outside of his family, too. The pandemic has created barriers to many former methods of global engagement, as Ken reflects here, but chess acts as a unique unifier. Check out the full article to learn more!