The National Scholastic Chess Foundation - inspiring academic excellence through chess. The NSCF was founded in 1990 to provide the benefits of a chess education to students of all ages. The primary focus of the NSCF’s programs is to develop critical thinkers. The cornerstone of the critical thinking process is considering and evaluating options. This process requires discipline, deliberation and decision. For over 25 years, the NSCF has worked with diverse populations in private and public schools, with children in gifted programs as well as those with special needs. The NSCF has shown that chess is a tool that helps students develop independent study and problem-solving skills and helps educators attain positive learning outcomes in all core subject areas.