Chess in Schools – International Chess Federation

2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest winners announced

editor_d — Mon, 11 May 2026 06:13:50 +0000

By Abel Talamantez, FIDE Senior Lead Instructor (SLI), FIDE EDU Commission

The 2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest attracted 120 submissions from 30 different countries!

To help celebrate the 2026 FIDE Year of Chess in Education, we invited schools with chess programs from around the world to submit photos of their chess classes to showcase how they use chess as an educational tool and how chess brings communities and cultures together. We wanted to engage schools and bring them into the larger FIDE EDU community, and we hoped it would give us an opportunity to better understand two things: what makes chess programs different across the world and, more importantly, what are the things that make us all alike. The universal language of chess is expressed so beautifully in pictures, and we were excited to capture how different cultures use chess in school to inspire and uplift communities.

The response was amazing! We received 120 submissions from 30 different countries and over 350 photos. Looking at the photos gave us great appreciation for the wonderful teachers, coaches, parents, and children who are part of these programs. The photos told a story. Deciding which photos to choose was a challenge, but we wanted to select those that elicited an emotional response and invited further questions.

In our selection process, we focused on photos that told many stories. We looked for community, culture, learning, and joy, hoping to see special ways in which chess was used to engage kids in fun ways. We selected pictures in which the culture of a region was expressed through chess, much like how the food of a particular region can itself tell a story of the region’s history. We also narrowed our selection process down to schools that were making the most of the resources available, as chess brings inspiration to all, regardless of race or socio-economic status.

Although the contest was originally advertised awarding three winners, the number of submissions and quality and stories behind them led us to expand the contest and include five winners. Here are the five winners of the 2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest:

5^th place – Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Nova Prata, Brazil

Who says chess is an indoor sport? At Nossa Senhora Aparecida in Brazil, students take chess outdoors to enjoy learning, playing, and socializing outside in the fresh air. Sometimes a change in environment can make a difference in the learning process, and what better than to enjoy a game of chess on a clear day, outdoors on the green grass. Playing chess outdoors in public areas promotes it as a social activity to people who may not yet play, and inspires curiosity. The photo also shows that chess can be enjoyed in a different setting, engaging various senses and enhancing the learning experience for all.

4^th place – EL Qiyem El Hadaria, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria

Sportsmanship is at the heart of any competition, and learning to start off a game with respect is an important lesson in life. At EL Qiyem El Hadaria in Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria, this picture tells a story of respectful competition in an outdoor setting. Coach Soumia Oukid says, “We often change the place to study chess to create a different and engaging environment for the students. As for the handshake, in Algeria we usually shake hands before starting a game. For this class, there are about ten girls, but in the whole school there are 325 students. I work with all the students in the school.” This photo captures a simple yet important concept, and it serves as a lesson on how children learn mutual respect and sportsmanship, win or lose, through chess.

3^rd place – Experimental Primary School, Songling Road Branch, Zichuan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province, China

This photo doesn’t show a full class, but rather one student solving a problem. However, it speaks volumes. I love how the learning tools in one photo show the classical way of learning chess, through the demo board and chalkboard, and then the modern tools in the center with the television monitor and online platform, beautifully capturing the evolution of learning. National pride with the flag of China displayed on top creates a beautiful scene.

2^nd place – Addis Ababa No. 2 Government School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

This photo is a classic school chess photo. The kids are in a classroom playing chess, but the details reveal the depth of chess’s power to connect people. We can see three tables of what looks like competitive games, but one of the tables shows a group of students watching and actively discussing a game with the coach. The tables themselves inspire a lot of curiosity, as the chessboards are embedded into the wood, like chess is part of the learning environment, and all this goes on against the background of a chalkboard with an academic lesson. This photo reveals community, culture, and the uniting social power of chess.

1^st place- Zhanir Khan School Class 1B, Khan Ordasy Village, Kazakhstan

This picture captures everything wonderful about the power of chess to inspire creativity, learning, and fun while bringing kids together. This is from a 1^st grade class where the students are learning the basics of chess through art. Their teacher Alfia Aksenova explains, “During the lesson, we decided to pretend we were “heroes,” chess pieces, and divided up the roles. The parents agreed to sew costumes, and the kids made large chess pieces out of play dough. This made our open lesson even more colorful. The kids were thrilled to be the King and Queen, Knight and Rook. These are our costumes for the open lesson.” The broad creative use of art, chess learning, and parental engagement with the idea to make learning more colorful and bring things to life makes this photo this year’s contest winner!

Congratulations to the contest winners and many thanks to all the schools that submitted photos. We will be publishing more photos and telling the stories of some of the other schools that contributed photos over the coming weeks, and we will soon upload all photos to our FIDE EDU webpage. It was a delight for us to receive so many photos and to get a glimpse into what chess in schools looks like all around the world.

The winners receive:

1^st prize – Social media post by FIDE promoting their school program, free entry for a FIDE School Award application, and one free entry for the Preparation of Teacher’s course, and one free annual subscription to LogiqBoard.

2^nd prize – Social media post by FIDE promoting their school program, free entry on a FIDE School Award application, 50% discount on a Preparation of Teacher’s course, and one free annual subscription to LogiqBoard.

3-5^th prize – Social media post by FIDE promoting their school program, 50% discount on a FIDE School Award application, 25% discount on a Preparation of Teachers course, and one free annual subscription to LogiqBoard.

We are proud to celebrate this year of chess in education and showcase to the world the transformative power of educational chess. Chess can serve as a source of great pride for a school community. Finding creative ways to teach and inspire kids – ways that make learning fun – is a key part of our initiative to grow more school programs. Chess is a universal language, and as we see from the photos, there are so many hopeful and inspiring things about the game that bond us all, while at the same time allow us to celebrate and appreciate the differences in culture, space, and opportunity. Let’s all keep moving forward in promoting this great game in schools and finding new ways to connect school programs to the wider community.

Every lesson counts!

Chess in Schools: Greek Chess Federation’s national initiative

editor_d — Sat, 09 May 2026 10:07:17 +0000

The Greek Chess Federation, under the presidency of Mr. Stathis Efstathopoulos, has achieved something truly transformative in recent years: it has introduced chess into Greek classrooms in an organized and sustainable way. In May 2022, the Ministry of Education approved the teaching of chess within the framework of the Skills Labs, incorporating strategic thinking, concentration, and creativity into everyday school life.

Subsequently, through its School Chess Committee, the Federation submitted three comprehensive educational programs – tailored respectively for Kindergarten, Primary School, and Junior High School – which were officially approved by the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) of the Ministry of Education. As a result, chess is now being taught in schools. As Mr. Stathis Efstathopoulos, President of the Greek Chess Federation, stated: “From vision to every classroom – we believed in chess education, and we made it a reality.”

To support this growth, the Federation took a decisive next step last year by establishing the Teachers’ Training Committee. Its mission is both clear and far-reaching: to equip educators throughout Greece with the knowledge and tools required to teach chess effectively, not only within the Skills Labs but also in after-school clubs, creating a strong foundation for future generations of students.

Furthermore, during the summer of 2025, the School Chess Committee brought together students from geographically remote communities through a series of online chess events under the project “Inter-Island Chess Actions.” Fourteen schools from eight islands, involving 65 students, participated in lessons, tournaments, and team activities that fostered cooperation, friendship, and fair play. The initiative helped reduce the sense of isolation often experienced in island communities by using chess and technology to connect young people across Greece.

This outreach continues through the new “Chess Bridges” initiative, which aims to include more islands as well as remote mountainous regions of mainland Greece, using chess as a shared language among communities.

At the same time, this year the Strategic Planning Committee was established under the supervision of Mr. Georgios Makropoulos. The Committee has submitted to the Ministry of Sports a comprehensive four-year program for school chess. Beyond the organization of the Student Qualifying Championships in every prefecture and region of the country, the program includes informational presentations in schools, the development of a competition network, collaborations with institutions and organizations, the promotion of school and interschool activities, the use of digital technologies and the internet, as well as the mapping of schools with chess activity.

More specifically, the responsibilities of the Strategic Planning Committee include the systematic collection and evaluation of data from schools, cooperation with local unions and chess clubs for the organization of qualifying tournaments, and the development of partnerships with the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece and the Union of Regions of Greece, so that municipalities and regional authorities can actively support chess in their areas and facilitate student participation in the final phase of the championships. Within the same framework are included the search for sponsors to secure the necessary chess equipment, the creation of promotional videos and informational brochures aimed at students, parents, and educators, as well as the development of a digital platform for school chess.

This platform will host a competition calendar, an interactive map of active chess clubs and schools, an archive of articles, and extensive photographic material. The year 2026 marks the foundational starting point of this long-term strategic plan and, with participation reaching the impressive number of 10,000 students, this vision began its path toward implementation through the Greek National Student Chess Championships, held on May 2nd and 3rd in Thessaloniki. Organized by the Greek Chess Federation, in cooperation with the Thessaloniki–Chalkidiki Chess Clubs Association, the Ministry of the Interior (Macedonia–Thrace Sector), the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and HELEXPO, the championships evolved into one of the largest school chess events ever held in Greece.

Hosted at the historic Thessaloniki International Fair, home of the 1984 and 1988 Chess Olympiads, the event welcomed around 1,600 students from 74 schools, alongside more than 3,000 parents and guests. Team championships were held on Saturday, followed by individual events on Sunday with 1,223 participants. Beyond the boards, families enjoyed activities including face painting, children’s workshops, blindfold chess demonstrations, robotics showcases, and exhibition games against the AI-powered SenseRobot.

The closing ceremony brought together leading figures from Greek and international chess, including FIDE Vice President Georgios Makropoulos, President of the Greek Chess Federation Stathis Efstathopoulos, and Secretary General of the European Chess Union Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou, alongside government officials and institutional representatives, including the Minister for Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos Gioulekas. A special highlight was the presence of Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board, who participated in the award ceremonies and honored distinguished individuals for their contribution to chess, including Pavlos Anastasiadis, First Vice President of the Greek Chess Federation (1984–1988), who played a decisive role in securing and organizing the two Chess Olympiads held in Thessaloniki in 1984 and 1988, and who has supported chess whenever needed for more than 40 years.

In addition, FIDE honored for their contribution to school chess Vera Avramidou, Chair of the School Chess Committee, and Stathis Theofylaktidis, President of the Teachers’ Training Committee.

“Chess has the unique ability to bring together education, culture, and community,” said Makropoulos. “What we are seeing in Greece today is not simply the growth of a sport, but the creation of opportunities for young people to learn, connect, and develop important life skills through chess.”

The Greek Chess Federation is guided by an ambitious vision: to give every student in Greece the opportunity to learn and benefit from chess. Supporting this vision is a dedicated leadership team working in close collaboration under the presidency of Prof. Stathis Efstathopoulos. Key contributors include FIDE Vice President Georgios Makropoulos, who leads the Strategic Planning Committee; Vera Avramidou, head of the School Chess Committee; and Vice President Stathis Theofylaktides, leader of the Teachers’ Training Committee. Through sustained effort, strategic planning, and a deep commitment to education, they continue to redefine the role of chess in Greek society — not merely as a competitive activity, but as a powerful instrument for learning, social connection, and inspiration.

Chess for Inclusion: A powerful educational transformation in Catalonia

editor_d — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:35:36 +0000

Barcelona, Spain – In Catalonia, chess is no longer just a game played after school. In public classrooms, it has become a powerful tool for learning, inclusion, and personal growth.

Since the 2012 resolution by the European Parliament recognizing chess as a powerful educational tool, schools across the region have been building something truly innovative. With teacher training starting in 2014 and new methods developing since 2016, chess has become part of how children learn, not just what they learn.

This transformation did not happen by chance. It is the result of years of dedication, training, and the hard work of many teachers, trainers, and chess advocates who strongly believe in the value of chess in education.

At two public primary schools (children from 3 to 12 years old): Escola Jaume Balmes and Escola Ramon y Cajal, this vision is now a daily reality.

Learning through chess at Escola Jaume Balmes

At Escola Jaume Balmes, around 280 students aged 5 to 12 use chess as part of their everyday learning.

Here, chess is not taught as a separate subject; it is used to teach other subjects. Teachers of all disciplines are trained to use chess as a learning tool in their classes.

On the chessboard, certain squares include images such as cities or countries. When a student lands on one of these squares, they must answer a question. A correct answer allows them to continue and earn points.

Subjects like mathematics, science, Spanish, and Catalan are all integrated into the game. Each subject has a color, turning learning into an interactive and engaging experience.

In mathematics, for example, students use the movement of pieces, like the knight, to solve problems. The game itself becomes a way of thinking.

A tool for inclusion

In schools with many students from non-Spanish-speaking families, inclusion can be a challenge. Language barriers often make it hard for children to participate and connect.

Chess changes that.

Because it doesn’t rely on words, it gives every child a way to join in and feel part of the class.

Zoya, a girl from Pakistan who arrived just three weeks ago, didn’t want to communicate with anyone except her sister. Through chess, she slowly began to connect with her classmates.

Kimi from China spoke very little Spanish when he arrived in September. Chess helped him make friends, become more involved. Today he is a happy, fully engaged student.

According to the teachers at school, chess creates a simple but powerful bridge: it helps every child feel included.

A long tradition at Escola Ramon y Cajal

In Terrassa, Escola Ramon y Cajal has been developing chess in education for many years.

With over 400 students, starting from the age of three to twelve, the school has built a strong and lasting chess culture.

A key figure behind this work is Toni Arboleas, a primary school teacher and chess expert who has played an important role in shaping the program. His experience and dedication have helped bring structure, resources, and a long-term vision to chess at the school.

He actively involves other teachers, encouraging them to be present during chess lessons so they can learn how to use chess as a teaching tool themselves. In classes where chess is integrated into learning, there are always two teachers: the subject teacher and Toni, working together to guide the students and support each other.

Learning by moving and playing

For younger children, chess is integrated with physical activity.

Using a giant chessboard in the gym, even children as young as three years old:

Move between black and white squares
Learn colors and spatial awareness
Name squares and understand positions
Set up the board and identify missing pieces

They learn by moving, exploring, and playing.

Chess competition

The school has a long tradition of chess tournaments, running for more than 20 years. In recent years, they have become extremely popular among pupils.

Participation is optional, yet many children choose to play during their breakfast break at 11a.m. They sit with their snacks and play chess in a relaxed, social atmosphere; it’s not a tense competition, but a shared moment.

Students from different grades are paired together, for example, grades 2 and 3, or 4 and 5. Older pupils take on important roles: sixth graders act as referees and help explain the rules when needed.

It is especially encouraging to see that at least 40% of the pupils taking part are girls, showing strong and growing female participation in the school’s chess activities.

This is a great example of a school community, where everyone is involved and learning from each other.

Rita Atkins, Secretary of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission and Lead Developer of FIDE’s training programs, visited schools in Catalonia, where she met with teachers and education officials. During her visit, she also delivered seminars and workshops for local teachers, sharing knowledge, ideas, and practical approaches to using chess in education.

A key role in the visit was played by Marta Amigó Vilalta, who guided the FIDE team through the schools and introduced them to the Catalan approach to chess in education.

The program itself is coordinated by two key figures: Eva Zamarreño from the Catalan Chess Federation, and Marta Amigó Vilalta from the Department of Education of Catalonia – the two institutions leading and promoting the initiative.

What is happening in Catalonia shows that chess in schools truly works. In schools like Escola Jaume Balmes and Escola Ramon y Cajal, chess is helping children learn subjects, connect with others, and feel included, no matter their background, age, social status, or gender.

This success comes from strong commitment and the hard work of dedicated teachers and leaders like Toni Arboleas.

His message to other schools is clear: even if introducing chess feels challenging at first, it’s worth taking the step. It requires effort and commitment, but the impact on students makes it truly worthwhile.

Photos: KNZO Photography

From Pawns to Queens: A new Chess in Schools Initiative

editor_d — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 23:08:25 +0000

The Singapore Chess Federation “SCF” is delighted to announce our latest project, “From Pawns to Queens”, a chess in schools initiative in collaboration with Greenwood Primary School. This project aims to trial a large-scale beginner chess programme to promote chess learning among the school’s Primary 1 and Primary 2 students, with the longer term goal to make chess a regular feature in the school’s programmes at all levels, and use chess learning to teach essential cognitive and life skills.

The idea of the name “From Pawns to Queens” stemmed from the literal meaning of teaching our young students how to move all the pieces. Beyond mastering the game, our mission is to inspire children to embrace the concepts of empowerment, growth, and development—both on and off the board. Just as pawns have the potential to become queens through strategic effort and perseverance, we encourage kids to realise their own potential, develop confidence, and grow into empowered individuals.

The project started with a chess camp that took place on the 4th and 5th of November. Each day began with a mass briefing in the school hall, with Woman FIDE Master Dijana Dengler explaining the origin of chess and the absolute basics to 455 Primary 1 and 2 (aged 7 and 8) students. Dijana, a councilor in FIDE’s Chess in Education Commission and a chess teacher at Overseas Family School is highly experienced and skilled at teaching the basics of chess to young children. Her entertaining presentation, with the help of FT Philipp Ziegler, also from Overseas Family School, captivated the audiences who eagerly engaged with her whenever questions were posed.

After 45 minutes, the group returned to their respective classrooms for a more in-depth learning experience. The SCF team, together with 16 volunteers from the chess community, then spent the next 2 hours continuing the teaching process, and allowing the children to experience playing chess against each other for the first time.

The feedback from the school was highly positive. Many of the kids expressed joy at learning the game and wished to learn more after the training camp. SCF hopes to continue our collaboration with Greenwood Primary School in bringing more chess to its students.

The SCF is heartened that the Singapore Chess Community has stepped forward to support this programme. We sincerely thank the following partners:

Greenwood Primary School Team

Principal: Mrs. Tricilia Chua
Vice-Principal: Mr. Tan Kar Wee
Year Head/Lower Primary: Mrs. Sharon Teo
Assistant Year Head/Lower Primary: Mdm Celeste Teo

Chess Academies and teachers

Ms Elisha Paciencia, Ms Ericka Paciencia, Mr Aziz Abdul from Chess Grande
Mr. Osric Mooi
WIM Anjela Khegay
FM Dino Ballecer from Chess Whizdom
Mr. Arlan Cabe from Chess Castle Pte Ltd
Mr. Jedidiah Huang from The Jedi Chess Academy

Chess enthusiasts

Ms Vanessa Mcconville, Ms Dijana Dengler and Mr. Philipp Ziegler from Overseas Family School
Mr. Peter Dengler from London Stock Exchange Group
Students Mr. Andrew Tan, Ms. Eden Pang, Ms. Audelle Sim, Mr. Joash Chan and Ms. Dayana Chin

For more information regarding From Pawns to Queens and other SCF social initiatives, please contact socialprojects@singaporechess.org.sg

FIDE and ISCF declare 2026 as the Year of Chess in Education

editor_d — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:34:29 +0000

Following the Year of Social Chess, 2026 will be dedicated to chess in education, underscoring FIDE’s focus on integrating chess into the global school curricula worldwide.

On 20 October, at NGS School in Astana, FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to jointly promote scholastic chess globally. The initiative builds upon the successful 2025 Year of Social Chess and aligns with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich’s proposal – made at the recent Smart Moves Summit in Washington, D.C. –to make education one of key focus areas for 2026.

Under the agreement – which will guide future cooperation – ISCF will work closely with FIDE to organise a series of international school team tournaments under the name “World Schools Team Championship League 2026” (WSTCL), which will serve as a flagship event of the “Chess in Education 2026” programme.

The tournaments will unfold in two stages:

Continental Championships for Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Grand Final featuring the winners of respective Continental Championships.

The parties expressed their intent to draft an action plan for additional events alongside each WSTCL 2026 tournament, aiming to expand scholastic chess and promote chess as an educational tool.

The memorandum was signed by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and Timur Turlov, President of the International School Chess Federation.

“Education is the foundation for a good and successful life, and chess is a proven and powerful tool to underpin that goal,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich.

“Investment in chess education, youth and school events has been one of the goals of my team since taking the helm of FIDE. I am delighted that after a successful Year of Social Chess, we are continuing with the Year of Chess in Education, launching new projects and initiatives and getting more schools and educational facilities involved in chess.”

The memorandum will serve as a foundation for implementing initiatives aimed at developing school chess and popularising intellectual sports in school education.

“Inclusion and equal opportunities have always been close to my heart. With the backing of our Freedom Shapagat Foundation, we have consistently supported social initiatives that help children and promote a more compassionate and humane society. That is why hosting these initiatives within the framework of the FIDE Olympiad for People with Disabilities feels especially meaningful,” said Timur Turlov.

“It is only natural that in this year — declared by FIDE as the Year of Social Chess — together with the International School Chess Federation, we take the next step and announce 2026 as the Year of Chess in Education. From early childhood, it is through learning that we build a society grounded in respect, empathy, and support for every child,” he added.

The “Chess in Education 2026” initiative marks a major milestone in FIDE’s global efforts to promote chess as a valuable component of learning, supporting both cognitive and social development among students worldwide.

About ISCF: The International School Chess Federation (ISCF) is dedicated to the global promotion and integration of chess within the educational system globally. Launched in September 2024 as a FIDE-affiliated organization, the ISCF operates as a main institutional platform for advancing chess in schools — developing educational programs, supporting national federations, and fostering cognitive and social growth among students through the game of chess.

Argentine Ministry of Human Capital promotes strengthening of School Chess program

editor_d — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:28:33 +0000

Argentina’s Ministry of Human Capital, headed by Sandra Petrovello, through the National Secretariat of Education led by Carlos Horacio Torrendell, has taken a significant step toward strengthening school chess across the country.

This valuable initiative emerged thanks to the efforts of distinguished international authorities – Dana Reizniece-Ozola (Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board), Jerry Nash (Chair of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission), and Willy Iclicki (Chair of the FIDE History Commission) – during their visit to Argentina.

In line with the projects announced at the School Chess Congress of the Americas, held in Vicente López last year, the National Secretariat of Education, together with the Argentine Chess Federation (FADA) – represented by its Executive Director Mario Petrucci – and FIDE, through Deputy Chair Dana Reizniece-Ozola, has achieved a historic milestone for education and sport through two key actions:

The reinstatement of the National Chess Coordinator within the Area of Strengthening Education and Socioemotional Development, a role that will be assumed by Professor Juan Durán.
The appointment of 24 provincial representatives – one in each province – who will work together on designing and implementing projects for the Chess in Schools program.

Ludovico Grillo, Mario Petrucci, and Alejandro Sass also contributed their expertise to the initiative, supporting the promotion of educational chess in the region.

At the same time, the recent creation of the Association of Chess Teachers and Educators (APEA), chaired by Ricardo Luna – a well-known figure with a long track record in school chess – marks another significant advancement. APEA will work in coordination with FADA to expand teacher training and consolidate school programs nationwide.

This agreement represents a major milestone in integrating chess into Argentina’s educational system, reinforcing its role as a tool for pedagogy, inclusion, and socioemotional development, in line with the standards promoted by the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

School children play chess on the roof of London’s O2 Arena

editor_d — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:16:46 +0000

From the classroom to the sky: Chess in the curriculum

School children have taken chess to extraordinary new heights (quite literally), going head-to-head in a game of chess, 52 meters above London on top of the O2 Arena, to promote the ancient strategy game’s benefits in education and for the launch of a new chess club initiative!

Under sunny skies, Pointers’ students played on top of the London landmark, but the real achievement lies not in the altitude but in promoting the many cognitive benefits that come with playing the game. The high-stakes game marks the launch of The Pointer School’s commitment to making chess more widely available in the community, by opening their doors to an after-school chess club for other pupils in Greenwich and South East London areas, free of charge.

Open to passionate chess players of primary school age, the chess club aims to give young people who otherwise would not have access to structured chess coaching an opportunity to master this universal game of strategy.

The Pointer School, a leading prep school in South London that forms part of the Dukes Education group, celebrates their 75th anniversary this year. The school has a proud history and record when it comes to chess, with former student, Shreyas Royal having become England’s youngest ever chess grandmaster – aged just 15 years old.

Pointers student, Kushal Jakhria, is competing in this year’s FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships in London this June. As well as the full team making it to the finals of English Primary School Chess Association (EPSCA) National Primary Schools’ Championships 2025, further demonstrating the prep school’s chess success.

The Pointer School offers world-class guidance and instructions for budding chess players, both within the curriculum and through extracurricular activities. As well as helping Shreyas Royal to hone his skills, the school has a proven track record of success in chess, with former pupils going on to excel at regional, national, and even international levels. Studies have shown that playing chess can deepen your focus, improve your memory and enhance critical thinking, which can translate into everyday life, as well as the game of chess itself.

Charlotte Crookes, Headteacher at The Pointer School, said:

“Our chess club is about much more than the game itself, it’s part of our panoramic curriculum, giving every child a chance to discover their interests and thrive intellectually, socially and emotionally; and celebrating what’s possible when communities come together.

“Chess offers a number of cognitive benefits that can translate to greater performance in other elements of education, be it concentration, problem-solving or boosting creativity, as well as valuable life skills around critical thinking, planning and logical reasoning.

“What better way to launch our chess club than to play a game at the top of one of London’s most recognized landmarks? The Pointer School has taken chess to new heights, but you wouldn’t catch me going up there!”

Selection for the chess club, which began with the symbolic O2 Arena showdown, will be based on passion, potential, and above all else, curiosity in the game of chess! Children from across the Greenwich and South East London area are invited to join the after-school club, and they will be given access to expert coaching, as well as opportunities for competitive play.

Jerzy Dybowski, chess tutor at The Pointer School, said:

“Chess builds confident learners and thoughtful decision-makers. We’re proud of our heritage, but even more proud to be part of something bigger, something that reaches beyond our school walls.”

Spaces for the chess club are limited but available for all primary school age pupils, and anyone who is interested in registering their interest for this initiative can visit The Pointer School website: pointers.school /about/chess-club

Website: pointers.school/
Instagram: @pointerschool
Facebook: facebook.com/ThePointerSchool/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-pointer-school/?viewAsMember=true

About The Pointer School

Founded in 1950, The Pointer School is an independent co-educational school in

Blackheath, Greenwich, South East London. It is known for its strong academic record, panoramic educational approach, and thriving arts and sports programmes. In 2025, it celebrates 75 years of nurturing curious minds and fostering a spirit of opportunity for all.

The Pointer School is part of the Dukes Education family, the largest premium education group in the UK and one of the fastest-growing families of schools in Europe. Dukes Education was founded by Aatif Hassan in 2015 to give young people an outstanding start in life.

The Group now has 62 education brands and over 80 settings, across nine countries, supporting more than 21,000 pupils and 5,000 staff. Dukes also operates a number of leading summer short courses, university and medical school consultancies, immersive career experience providers, and one-to-one student support offerings, creating a cradle-to-career suite of services.