Chess in Education Commission - FIDE

15/06/2026

15/06/2026

Experts say the game is helping children solve problems, forge friendships and build confidence.

14/06/2026

♟️ Chess is proving to be more than just a game for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Twenty-two teachers and students from four SEND schools gathered at the David Rose Special School for a mini chess tournament hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s SEND Department.

The event highlighted how chess strengthens concentration, problem-solving, communication, and confidence while creating opportunities for meaningful social interaction. 🧩✨

13/06/2026

♟️ A wonderful school visit in Marrakech!

Rita Atkins (Secretary, FIDE EDU) and Brian Callaghan (former organiser of the Gibraltar Opens and patron of educational chess at Ella Maillart) had the pleasure of observing a chess lesson at Groupe Scolaire Ella Maillart, a private school in the Massira area of Marrakech offering nursery and primary education, led by Principal Mrs Aich Amina.

The lesson was taught by Ms Lamyaa Berri, FIDE Senior Lead Instructor candidate, who guided a class of 9-year-olds through the ways of escaping checkmate and the art of castling — taught with real warmth and clarity.

Ms Berri shared a little about her journey into chess education: discovering the game through her university chess club seven years ago, and then having her perspective transformed by the FIDE Preparation of Teachers Course — realising chess in schools isn't about winners and losers, but a powerful tool for building cognitive and social-emotional skills. As a PhD researcher in Mathematics Education, she has since developed a teaching approach using storytelling, mini-games, and giant chessboards, with transformative results — from helping students with ADHD build focus, to achieving the integration of chess into the official curriculum at a Moroccan school.

A real pleasure to see this work in action — congratulations to Ms Berri, Principal Mrs Aich Amina, and the whole Ella Maillart community! ♟️🇲🇦

08/06/2026

🎓 The wonderful PoT training course for women in Arabic has now come to an end.

This edition was truly unique and unlike any previous one, as it was designed exclusively for women, reflecting our strong belief in the vital role women play in shaping society and creating positive change through education.

A total of 27 women participated in the course, and we are proud to announce that 25 of them successfully became certified instructors. ♟️ They are now qualified to earn the FIDE title of School Instructor, enabling them to use chess as a powerful educational tool to develop children’s skills in schools across the Arab world.

It was also our great pleasure and honor to welcome Anastasia Sorokina, Chair of the FIDE Women’s Commission, to the closing ceremony. She congratulated the participants on their achievement and encouraged them to continue their journey toward making children’s lives better through chess and education.

Furthermore, she reaffirmed her commitment to supporting Arab women in the coming period and promised to continue organizing additional training programs and educational opportunities in cooperation with the FIDE Chess in Education Commission. 🤝 This ongoing support will help empower more women to become leaders in chess education and expand the positive impact of chess on children and communities throughout the Arab world.

FIDE - International Chess Federation
Dana Reizniece

07/06/2026

⏳Only 3 Days Left to Enrol!

The FIDE Education Commission’s 38th “Preparation of Teachers” (PoT) Course is a unique opportunity for teachers, chess educators, coaches, and passionate players to discover how chess can be used as a powerful educational tool.

📅 June 12–14, 2026
🌍 Online | English Language

Course highlights:
✅ Learn innovative methods for teaching through chess
✅ Develop the essential 4C skills: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration
✅ Gain practical strategies for working with children and students
✅ Earn the opportunity to qualify for the prestigious FIDE School Instructor title upon successful completion of the course and exam

Exclusive lifelong benefits:
♟️ Opening Master Premium Database access
📚 FIDE Teachers Chess Curriculum book
💻 Chesspertise platform tools for training, analysis, and coaching

⚠️ Limited to just 20 participants.
📌 Registration closes on June 10 — only 3 days left to secure your place!

Join a growing global community of chess educators and discover how chess can inspire learning both inside and outside the classroom.

06/06/2026

♟️FIDE Preparation of Teachers (POT) Course in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria♟️

On May 29, 30, and 31, we had the privilege of hosting a new FIDE School Instructor Course in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, organized by FIDE, led by Olimpia Chess Academia, and supported by CEMENA.

These were three intense days of training, learning, and sharing experiences—but above all, three days filled with humanity. We had the pleasure of working with a group of people with exceptional human values, a genuine passion for learning and experiencing educational chess, and an outstanding commitment to every topic covered throughout the course.

All 15 participants successfully passed the final assessment and earned the FIDE School Instructor title. 🎓

Now the truly beautiful part begins. The time has come to share everything learned with their students—with knowledge, enthusiasm, and, above all, with great care and passion.

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made this experience possible. Chess continues to prove that it is much more than a game—it is education, connection, personal growth, and humanity.

♟️❤️

FIDE - International Chess Federation
Dana Reizniece

06/06/2026

🎓♟️ 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐏𝐎𝐓) 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐚

After four inspiring days of learning, collaboration, and discovery, the FIDE Preparation of Teachers (POT) Course in Arabic has successfully concluded at Sama Ashrafia Schools in Damascus countryside.

The course brought together 60 participants from across the Syrian Arab Republic, united by a shared commitment to using chess as an educational tool to support the development of future generations.

A major achievement of the course was that 𝟱𝟰 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲, marking an important step in expanding the network of trained chess educators in Syria and strengthening the implementation of chess in schools.

The impact of the course was perhaps best reflected in the words of one participant:

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴."

These words capture the essence of Chess in Education: not simply teaching the game, but empowering educators with new tools, perspectives, and methodologies that will continue to benefit students long after the course has ended.

The FIDE Chess in Education Commission congratulates all participants on their achievements and extends its sincere appreciation to the Syrian Arab Chess Federation, Sama Ashrafia Schools, and everyone who contributed to the success of this program.

🌍 Together, we continue building a future where chess enriches education, develops life skills, and inspires young minds in every classroom.

FIDE - International Chess Federation
Dana Reizniece
Anzel Laubscher