We are lucky to live in an area with a very vibrant chess scene. There is no shortage of good chess players for my DS to play, even in K-1! (We have 1st graders rated in the high 900s locally, and if DS were to "play up" in my city's scholastic tournaments, he could eventually face kids with ratings up to 1900. I've been really impressed by the turnout at the tournament and the intensity of some, though not all, competitors.) I can understand how it would be a lot harder if we lived somewhere without this culture.