When people talk about 'Gifts That Keep on Giving', chess should be high on the list. Starting with 'A moment to learn, a lifetime to master', study after study shows that chess has a positive influence on people's lives, especially young people. If you need some gift ideas involving chess, here are a few. First, a big one from Britain.

• Loughborough MP Announces Free Chess Sets for Schools • 'Andy Reed MP today announced the giving away of chess sets to schools. The chess sets are available for schools as part of a scheme to provide a quarter of a million chess sets into the school network. Negotiations with manufacturers and distributors means that ten sets and boards can be presented to every school in England. '
  
  
• Free chess sets for schools • 'A secondary school is the first in the country to receive some of the 250,000 free chess sets produced by a plastics company.'
  
  

That's a lot of chess sets and a generous gift, but gifts of chess needn't be so extravagant. Here are more good samaritan stories that are within everyone's means and that center on chess.

• Courtesy chess sets are classroom bound: Donor hopes to help at risk children • 'In the game of chess, one false move can mean checkmate. In the case of Ted Alex's son Jeremy, one false move meant his life. After his 28-year-old son, who struggled with drug addiction, disappeared in the Maine woods nearly four years ago, Ted and his family felt the need to commemorate his son's life by reaching out to local at risk youth.'
  
  
• Friends of slain officer help start up 5 local chess clubs • 'After Officer Chuck Cassidy was murdered last fall at a West Oak Lane Dunkin' Donuts, Breanne Ward knew she had to do something to help prevent the violence that took her friend's life.'
  
  
• East Salinas: Chess teaches right moves • 'As a strategy to teach students to make the right moves on a chessboard - and in life - the chess program of Alisal Union School District held its first practice tournament of the year on Saturday. "We are actually on a contract to provide four practice tournaments like this one," said co-organizer Alberto Murillo.' • Chess efforts expand for Salinas children • 'Salinas Chess coach Alberto Murillo will spread his love for chess through free chess classes for children and adults at the Cesar Chavez Library. Murillo will also donate chess boards and pieces to the first 100 people who show up.'
  
  
• Carpet Country generous sponsors of fundraiser for Mexia High Chess Club • 'Dana Howard, owner of Carpet Country, has donated a room of carpet with pad to the Mexia High School Chess Club for a drawing to raise funds to purchase DVD’s, chess clocks, and other needed training and equipment needs.'
  
  

That should give you a lot of good ideas for giving : free chess sets, support for a local chess club, volunteer time teaching the game. Do you know of other imaginative ways to give the gift of chess?