Question

How does James Black's story illustrate Tough's point that "anything seems possible—as long as there's a teacher out there who can make succeeding in school as attractive a prospect as succeeding on the chessboard"

Answer 1

This question seems to be incomplete. However, there´s enough information to find the right answer.

Answer:

In his book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, Paul Tough uses James Black's story as an example of how although having good cognitive abilities is necessary,  hard work and proper education is much more important to turn intelligence into academic success.  

Explanation:

James´amazing talent at playing chess, which usually indicates a high intelligence, didn´t match his academic results despite his teacher´s efforts. According to Tough, James´main obstacle was the deficiency of his education throughout his life, and not a lack of resolution or intellectual capacity. Furthermore, he praises Elizabeth Spiegel, James´teacher, for her efforts to get the kid to get better academic achievements, and claims that it´s teachers like her who actually understand educational needs and the importance of helping students develop their own intellectual abilities.