Summary:

•  Muliple time Georgia High Scool and Junior Champion in the late 1970's

•  USCF Class A Player, Quick Chess Expert

•  Tournament Director and Organizer

•  Chess Entrepreneur, Founder of Kid Chess

•  Coach and Cirriculum Developer

•  Kid Chess responsible for teaching chess to thousands of children since 1998

•  USCF Meritorious Service Award in 2014

One of the greatest contributions to Georgia chess has been the work of Justin Morrison, the founder of Kid Chess.  His influence on chess education in the state has been profound.  Kid Chess continues to teach chess to thousands of students each year to this day.

J. Earle Morrison, significant contributor to Georgia chess in his own right, taught his son how to play chess when he was six years old. By the time Justin was 14, he was competing for the 1975 Georgia State High School Championship. His efforts fell short that year in the last round.  However, he was the Champion outright at 5-0-0 in 1976, the two-way Co-Champion with 4½ - ½ in 1977, and the Champion outright again at 5-0-0 in 1978.

Justin’s greatest moment as a high school player was winning the 1976 Southern High School Championship in Atlanta with a score of 6-0-0. He was also the Co-Champion (3-way) of the 1976 Georgia State Junior Invitational at 5 points (4-1-2).

Justin’s highest regular over-the-board USCF rating was 1993. Justin became a Local level Tournament Director in 1976 and directed several tournaments in the middle and late 1970’s.

Justin’s frequency of play decreased while he attended the University of Georgia.  He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 1982. Justin worked his way up the ladder from newspaper delivery (while a student) to newspaper management positions.  He left the newspaper business in 1991 and became an independent business consultant.  As a consultant, he flew to various jobs around the country. While doing so, he was asked to teach/coach chess to small schoolchildren.  It was at this time that his idea came and redefined his career.

Justin tapered off his work as an independent business consultant and decided to go into business teaching chess to schoolchildren.  In 1998 he founded Kid Chess, with which his name has become synonymous.

Justin decided to stress the fun and enjoyment of chess. The revenues for Kid Chess come from parents paying for their children to be educated – usually taught within the schools.  Although the teachers have some limited teaching freedom, all Kid Chess schools have prepared curriculum choices, and the teachers are trained extensively.

 

Although Kid Chess has very few full-time employees, almost all employees (teachers) are part-time. Kid Chess schools are mostly public, but a few are private.  Since 1998, Kid Chess has given an average of over $250,000 in fees, donations, and sponsorships to schools each year. Kid Chess routinely gives sets, boards, and lessons for free to children.

Justin envisioned a relaxed atmosphere that would be conducive to the child-student-player and build trust with the parents.  Kid Chess has conducted chess summer camps since 1999 (except for 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic).

In 2014 the United States Chess Federation rewarded Justin Morrison for his outstanding contributions to chess in Georgia with its prestigious Meritorious Service Award.

 

As devastating as the pandemic was, Kid Chess survived better than many businesses, retaining most of about 100 pre-pandemic employees. Now Kid Chess has about 3,000 students in 64 schools.  Now hundreds of current and former Kid Chess students regularly play in Georgia chess tournaments.

Kid Chess assumed the Atlanta Chess and Scholastic Center in Roswell in 2021 and renamed it Chess Zone. Chess Zone has become the nucleus for Kid Chess. Kid Chess is currently one of the largest chess instructional programs in the United States.

Kid Chess and Chess Zone continue Justin’s vision for popularizing chess. Between Chess Place (Kid Chess’ facility in the early 2000’s) and Chess Zone, Justin Morrison has organized hundreds of USCF rated events. Either directly or indirectly, Justin Morrison has been responsible for teaching tens of thousands of Georgia schoolchildren how to play chess – not just how the pieces move, but how to play chess.  He has significantly bettered chess in Georgia in the areas of promotion, teaching, coaching, organization, and leadership.

Sources:

  Georgia Chess Association Newsletter, 1976-1977

  Chessman, 1978

  Justin Morrison, personal interviews

  US Chess Yearbook

  Georgia Chess magazine electronic collection