AKRON, Ohio – In Santosh Kanakkanatt’s world, life is black and white. And the way he sees it, that’s not a bad thing.
The retired chemist who is known as “Coach K” is on a mission to get more kids interested in learning about chess, an activity that he says teaches more than maneuvers to capture an opponent’s king. It’s about slowing down to focus, to learn life lessons.
His love affair with chess started when he was about 8. Chess was a “nerdy thing” that he fell into. Learning the game was informal, with a family member passing down the nuances…