It’s study hall for sixth-graders at Tree of Life of Christian School.

While some sit with open books and notepads, preparing homework assignments, others hover over a chess board and wait on their opponents’ next move.

Watching the matches unfold are the Wright brothers, John Michael and Mark David, who were both introduced to the game before they started kindergarten.

“My dad taught me at 4 years old,” said Mark, a junior at Tree of Life. “When I was 8 years old, I completed my first chess tournament. I got hooked and taught my brother when he was really young.”

The brothers, who have a number of state chess championships between them, have been teaching the game to elementary school students for the past six years.

This year, however, they approached middle school principal Lynn Tolley about a research project.

Past studies have shown that students who received chess lessons have made gains in test scores. One particular study sponsored by Intel Corp. in 1996 compared the reading scores of students who were given chess lessons to those of students who were not; the conclusion was that those receiving lessons made more gains in reading scores than those who did not play chess.

But some critics argue that it’s not chess that develops better cognitive skills, but that the game may attract those who possess such qualities.

Tree of Life sixth-graders will be tested this spring.

“I knew of Mark’s success in chess and asked him to start a chess club, but we’re really taking it to the next level,” Tolley said. “It’s all voluntary, but students were very eager to participate.

“I’m hoping this could be a class or elective in the future that we can offer middle school students.”

Schools in such countries as Russia and Hungary have a longstanding practice of introducing the game to students. It has become more widespread in the United States, according to the U.S. Chess Federation, which has grown to more than 80,000 members with more than 2,000 clubs and other affiliations.

More than half the members are involved in scholastic categories.

“We’ve found that students of the game when they are young are able to recognize patterns,” said John Michael, who last month won the seventh-grade state chess title in Akron. “In chess, the best thing you can do is think ahead and visualize what your next move is going to be. Kids are creative and it’s incredible how they come up with new ideas.”

The thought is that students who play chess will become better at anticipating what will happen next, whether it be in a story or a math problem.

In chess, sloppy thinking leads to failure.

“We start out by teaching students how to move pieces and basic strategy, but we want them to look ahead,” said Mark David, who has won five state chess championships. “You have to find the threat from your opponent.”

The game also requires good etiquette, said John Michael, who attends Veritas Academy. It’s a war of two minds.

“It’s competitive, but nobody gets angry and swipes the pieces off the board,” he said. “They’re very cordial and they shake hands. With chess, there are so many life applications.”

The brothers enjoy giving their knowledge to others.

“One student told me he was dying to beat his dad,” Mark David said. “Now, he’s teaching his dad and they’re having a lot more competitive games.”