Chess is one of the few games never rained off. Georgina O'Halloran met young masters at a summer camp with the right moves

Hands immediately fly up when Grandmaster Baburin asks where he should move a particular pawn. The children, in their desire to answer first, are like gulls fiercely competing for the remains of a thrown-away sandwich. But their enthusiasm is striking.

This lively gathering marks the beginning of Dublin's first ever chess summer camp, which started on Tuesday at the Railway Union Sports Club in Sandymount. It is the brainchild of Alex Baburin and Michael Crowe, two former chess professionals.

While chess is often perceived as a boring pastime, the 21 young enthusiasts certainly don't agree. Jack Kennedy (7), from Ranelagh, who is attending this week's camp, finds chess very exciting for lots of reasons. "You have to plan everything and make sure you are not doing a stupid move," he says. "You have to be thinking all the time."

But what attracts children aged between 7 and 12 to spend summer mornings sitting in a hall, pondering chess moves when they could be playing outside in the sun?

Mark Berney (9) came from Gorey, Co Wexford, to take part in the camp with his cousins and he's looking forward to its competitive aspect. "I've played it since I was four in my grandparents' home and I'm looking forward to the tournament in the afternoon because I like playing people I've never played before," he says.

Some of the young participants have already had the opportunity to play chess in school. Jim Connell-Moylan (11), from Clontarf, has been playing chess since he was in junior infants and is on the school team at North Dublin National School Project. "I'm looking forward to just playing chess because I haven't played for ages," he says.

Seana Bonner (12), from Tallaght, is attending for the full two weeks of the camp and and is on the school team for Scoil Santain in Tallaght. "I'm playing chess a year and a half now and I like it because it's relaxing," she says.

For other participants, this chess camp is their first opportunity to play against people their own age. Marco Booth (11), from Blackrock, has come because he wanted to learn more about the game. "It's great because my dad taught me everything I've learned up to now but now I can learn more and play against people my own age."

Michael Crowe says interest in chess is growing, particularly among girls. "The chess league for primary schools, national checkmate, was set up five years ago and there were only 200 girls playing chess throughout the country at that stage. There are now easily 2,000 girls playing chess," he says.

Crowe and Baburin both teach chess in primary schools in the Dublin region.

Crowe believes there are lots of benefits to playing. "It's the most thrilling game. It's one-to-one, there's human interaction, and it also teaches children consequences. It's also a game for life, whereas if you're a footballer you're finished by 36."

Baburin underlines the positive influence of chess on academic ability because it teaches children the skills of concentration and planning.

He believes children are drawn to it because it incorporates elements of both play and competition.

Meanwhile, Crowe shuns the notion that only intellectual people can play chess. "That's a myth," he says. "It attracts the cleverer students, but anyone can play chess. It's a bit like art appreciation. If you get a bit of coaching you learn about it and it spurs you on. The coaching feeds the interest," he says.