Back to School: One Chess Move at a Time at Ocean State Academy as Students Learn Life Skills

For students at Ocean State Academy (OSA), playing chess brings team spirit, camaraderie—and some serious adrenaline-fueled excitement.

Besides the fun, it’s also about sharpening students’ critical thinking skills, long-term memory and ability to strategize under pressure.

“Chess teaches our special needs students to make decisions based on possible outcomes and consequences,” explained Anthony Tonelli, the high school teacher who runs the school’s chess tournaments. “This not only helps them in the game, but in their lives after graduation.”

Incorporating chess into OSA programming began when Tonelli introduced some of his students to the basics of the game in September 2024.

Before long, games were in full swing during the school day, with students eagerly challenging their teachers. It all culminated in OSA’s school-wide chess tournaments.

The first two-day event, organized by Tonelli, was held in December 2025 and was open to everyone—from elementary school students to high school upperclassmen and even teachers. Gold medals were the ultimate prize, along with OSA chess champion bragging rights, of course.

The first tournament was such a success that OSA hosted a second one at the end of this past school year and decided to make the event annual.

“One amazing student of ours, Mike Labee, won the gold medal at the high school level both times,” Tonelli said. “He has since graduated, so we are eager to crown the next chess champion during the 2026–27 school year.”

On the curriculum side, chess dovetails with lessons being taught in OSA classrooms. Tonelli noted that chess is all about planning your next move—and the move after that. Chess, he said, helps students understand the consequences of their actions, both good and bad, a lifelong skill for all students, regardless of age or ability.

“For our students, the key is learning to choose positive outcomes,” he said. “Chess always forces players to do a risk/reward assessment when making a move. That is a strong tool for our students to learn, use and hopefully master.”

Research from special education programs across the U.S. backs up what Tonelli is seeing firsthand at OSA.

For example, at New York’s Roberto Clemente School, a study of the school’s special education chess program found that student suspensions and outside altercations dropped by at least 60% as students became engaged with the game.

Portland-based nonprofit Chess for Success reports that its student participants—including those with disabilities—see reading scores rise by 10% and math scores by 17% on standardized tests. A study of German special education classrooms found that replacing regular math instruction with chess lessons led to significant gains in students’ basic calculation abilities.

“Taken together, these findings suggest that chess offers more than fun and friendly competition,” said Robert Picard, OSA principal. “It’s a tool that can sharpen focus, build confidence and translate into real academic and behavioral gains for students with special needs.”

About Ocean State Academy

OSA is a Rhode Island State Department of Education-approved private special education school for K–12 students ages 5–21. It serves students with a variety of needs, including autism, emotional and behavioral disorders, and specific learning disabilities.

They are located in the former St. Matthew’s School on Elmwood Avenue in Providence.

Learn more at oceanstateacademy.com.