✨ The FIDE EDU Preparation of Teachers courses train teachers and educators to teach educational chess in creative and fun ways in schools, and our Senior Lead Instructors (SLI) represent the highest level of achievement. In Morocco, SLI Lamyaa Berri leads a program at Ella Maillart School which brings chess learning to 180 students ages 7-10. ♟ “Rather than focusing solely on competition, the program uses chess as a tool to develop thinking, concentration, and responsible decision-making. From their first lesson, students work within a learning contract based on respect, listening, and fair play. The lessons are structured around stories, challenges, mini-games, worksheets, the use of LogiqBoard, and a giant chessboard, allowing children to discover chess concepts progressively and actively participate in the learning process through visual, hands-on, and physical engagement. A distinctive feature of the program is the use of a color system (green, orange, and red) that helps students monitor their behavior, attention, and readiness to learn. This approach encourages self-regulation and autonomy rather than external discipline. During lessons, students solve worksheet challenges, manipulate positions on the LogiqBoard, explain their choices, justify their moves, and discuss solutions with their classmates. Chess therefore becomes a space where children practice reasoning, communication, and reflection. The objective is not only to teach chess, but to help students become thoughtful learners capable of making informed decisions. The program also creates a bridge between educational chess and competitive chess. Some students who will move next year into grades where chess is not part of the regular program have already chosen to join the school’s competitive chess club, allowing them to continue developing their skills and remain connected to the game. However, the primary goal of the program is not to produce chess champions. Through chess, students learn to think before acting, justify their choices, persevere through challenges, and take responsibility for their decisions. These are skills that extend far beyond the chessboard and support their growth as learners and as individuals.” 🔸 When you combine passionate and committed instructors with the right tools and strategies to deliver effective learning, amazing things happen. Programs like these can be implemented in any school, and educational chess provides the foundation for growth for grassroots programs in schools. 👏 Kudos to Coach Lamyaa and to the staff and students at Ella Maillart! Click to learn more about our courses: edu.fide.com/potinfo Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

♟ BBC: How chess 'boom' is building young minds In a new BBC article, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich (@advorkovich) calls the impact on young players enormous: "I can see that it helps millions of children." 🔗 Read more: bbc.com/news/articles/cy73dp… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts @BBC

Can you solve it? Say the answer out loud – with your best French accent 🇫🇷 #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

✨ Don’t miss out! ❗ The deadline for the 4th cycle of the FIDE School Awards is June 30th. ♟ This award program recognizes schools that use chess as an educational tool and have created a thriving chess culture that has positively impacted their school and community. These schools aim to transform the child, helping to develop 21st century skills through chess that will be applicable in other areas of their lives. This transformation can happen regardless of the school's size or available resources. We are looking for schools that use chess as a changemaker. 🏅 Schools can earn gold, silver, or bronze level awards, each coming with special perks, including access to LogiqBoard, ChessKid memberships, discounts on Preparation of Teachers (PoT) courses, Learning Chess membership and membership for Notationary. More importantly, award-winning schools join a community of schools worldwide dedicated to the value of educational chess, with the ability to network and collaborate with other schools. FIDE School Award winners have enjoyed recognition from the international chess community. They have been featured in our Monday storytelling posts and recognized by the news in their local communities. More importantly, they serve as an inspiration to programs everywhere regarding the transformational impact a chess program can have on the children and on the school community. The FIDE School Award program is at the forefront of the chess revolution, showing how transformative recreation, or game-based learning can prepare students for tomorrow's challenges while kids learn, thrive, and have fun today. ℹ️ Information about the criteria and how to apply can be found here: edu.fide.com/certification/s… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

✨ One thing educational chess provides is preparing students with the 21st century skills needed in today’s rapidly changing environment, such as creativity and adaptability. At Addis Ababa No. 2 Government School in Addis Ababa, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, Coach Daniel Tufa Kebede transforms the classroom into a learning center suitable for both academics and chess. ♟ This story was told through a photo submitted for the 2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest, which earned them 2nd place. The photo shows wooden chess tables, students playing and learning, and academics on the chalkboard in the background. 🔸 “The mathematics lab classroom is used by students to practice math problems during their free time. The chess table serves a dual purpose: it is used for academic activities and for playing chess. It is a wooden table with black squares drawn on it to create a chessboard, due to the shortage of proper chess boards--though we do have the chess pieces. On the chalkboard are various mathematical problems, Sudoku puzzles, and chess principles. A total of around 80 students participate ranging from Grade 3 to Grade 8. I began training chess students 10 years ago at Tigle Lenetsanet Primary School with the aim of improving their mathematics performance. The Addis Ababa chess federation later supported me by providing chessboards and first- and second- level coaching.” 👏 One of the beautiful things about chess in a school setting is that it can be done anywhere, and you can have a significant impact on kids and in a community with very little resources. Addis Ababa No. 2 Government School and Coach Kebede are an example of the kind of energy, engagement, and transformational impact educational chess can make in a school. Chess can be for everyone, anywhere in the world. Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

Overseas Family School: A model for educational chess in Singapore 🇸🇬♟️ In 2026, designated as the FIDE Year of Chess in Education, the FIDE Chess in Education Commission is actively engaged in initiatives that promote the value and benefits of integrating chess into school curricula worldwide. Part of this initiative is to visit school sites that have a history of success in integrating chess as part of their school curriculum so that we can learn what makes the program a success. The hope is that we can bring those ideas back to our local programs and implement or scale chess programs in schools. The FIDE EDU recently sent a delegation of commission members, instructors, educators, and federation representatives to Singapore to visit Overseas Family School (OFS), an international school with approximately 3,000 students in grades K-12 from over 70 countries. In the educational chess community, OFS has earned a stellar reputation as a model of educational chess, or chess used as a learning tool to enhance 21st-century skills in the classroom and beyond. As a 2024 recipient of the FIDE Gold School Award, OFS provided the ideal setting to observe how chess can be seamlessly integrated into a school’s academic culture. Read more: fide.com/overseas-family-sch… #ChessInEducation #everylessoncounts

Mate in one ♟ Sounds easy… until there are 47 different checkmates 😳 Can you find them all? 👀 #ChessInEducation #everylessoncounts

✨ When creativity meets passion, wonderful things can happen. In education, it is important to adapt to children's differences by engaging them in different ways to pique their senses. At Zhanir Khan School, Class 1B, Khan Ordasy Village, Kazakhstan, Teacher Alfiya Aksenova Rinatovna has done a wonderful job, earning her class the 2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest 1st place prize. ♟ She says, “Our school introduced chess lessons this year, starting in first grade. We have three first grades, each with 15-17 children. Seventeen students in my class started learning chess this year. To attract attention and interest in chess lessons, I first introduced the children to the "character" of each piece, like a movie character. Each piece has its own move, its own path, its own character. To help the children understand how each piece plays, we sewed costumes. The children felt so good about being chess pieces. Then we made our own chessboard out of felt and wool. To boost motivation, I started holding monthly tournaments in the classroom, then throughout the school. This demonstrated the children's desire to win and achieve goals.” 🔸 This is part of a larger commitment in Kazakhstan to increase chess education in schools. The Kazakhstan Chess Federation has a development plan to expand educational chess in schools over the next several years. Even with an ambitious plan supported by the government, it takes amazing teachers to inspire the children in classrooms. Through storytelling, art, and community engagement, passionate teachers can make a powerful positive impact on children's lives through chess. 👏 Congratulations to teacher and coach Aksenova and Zhanir Khan School. Class 1B, this year's FIDE EDU Classroom Contest winner. Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

✨ In Sri Lanka, Dr. Dishal Ruwinga is making a difference in the lives of children and the community through chess. As a FIDE Lead School Instructor, he uses his training in educational chess to focus on developing 21st-century skills in students and highlighting the community impact such programs can have. At Kagalu Balika Vidyalaya in Kegalle, 150 students participate in the school's chess program, which has built a strong chess culture supported by the school administration. ♟ "Focusing on Pedagogical Innovation: In our classrooms, chess goes far beyond the board. We integrate FIDE EDU-certified lessons and the "6 Thinking Levels" (Bloom’s Taxonomy) into our daily training to transform how our students approach complex problem-solving. By applying these structured cognitive frameworks, our students learn to analyze, evaluate, and create—turning every move into a lesson in metacognition. It is inspiring to see how this educational approach builds disciplined, critical thinkers who carry these analytical skills into every aspect of their academic and daily lives. 🔸 We believe that chess is a powerful tool to unite and uplift our community. In our daily training sessions, we aren't just teaching kids how to play; we are creating a shared space where children connect, collaborate, and grow together. By using these specialized educational tools, we foster a culture of mutual support and shared progress. When students learn to navigate challenges together—whether on the board or in life—they develop the empathy and communication skills that strengthen the fabric of our community. Every day in our classroom, we watch them grow more confident as they tackle new challenges, ask better questions, and support their peers. Chess is the bridge that connects these young minds, building a foundation of intelligence and unity that will last a lifetime. Together, we are creating a smarter, more connected future, one move at a time." 👏 Congratulations to Dr. Ruwinga and his amazing work bringing creativity, community, and fun through chess to students in Sri Lanka. Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

♟ The FIDE Education Commission is pleased to announce a new global cooperation initiative with Opening Master and its advanced chess education platform Chesspertise. This collaboration represents an important step toward strengthening structured chess education and improving access to modern training tools for chess players, coaches, federations, schools, and newcomers to the game across all FIDE member countries. Read more: fide.com/fide-announces-glob… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts / @FIDEschoolChess

ISCF’s “Chess in Education” Grant Program: Application submissions continue Following the joint announcement by the International School Chess Federation and FIDE declaring 2026 the Year of Chess in Education, ISCF launched the “Chess in Education” Grant Program – a global initiative designed to scale proven educational projects that integrate chess into school systems. @FIDEschoolChess The program builds on a shared vision to bring chess closer to classrooms worldwide and strengthen its role as a tool for developing critical thinking, creativity, and social skills among children. Read more 👇 🔗 fide.com/iscfs-chess-in-educ… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

Chess in Schools: Greek Chess Federation’s national initiative ♟️✨ 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.” Read more: fide.com/chess-in-schools-gr… Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest winners announced ✨ ♟️ 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 2026 FIDE EDU Classroom Contest attracted 120 submissions from 30 different countries! 👏 Congratulations to the winners 1st place- Zhanir Khan School Class 1B, Khan Ordasy Village, Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 2nd place – Addis Ababa No. 2 Government School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 🇪🇹 3rd place – Experimental Primary School, Songling Road Branch, Zichuan District, Zibo City, Shandong Province, China 🇨🇳 4th place – EL Qiyem El Hadaria, Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria 🇩🇿 5th place – Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Nova Prata, Brazil 🇧🇷 Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com Read more: fide.com/2026-fide-edu-class… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

Arkady Dvorkovich advances chess development across Central America and the Caribbean ✨ President of FIDE, Arkady Dvorkovich, recently completed a multi-stop visit across the Caribbean and Central America, reinforcing FIDE’s commitment to expanding chess through education, institutional partnerships, and competitive opportunities. In Barbados, Dvorkovich met with key officials, including the Minister of Educational Transformation, Chad Blackman, and the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, to discuss integrating chess into the national education system. Talks focused on using the game to enhance critical thinking and student development. The FIDE President also met with the President of Barbados, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Davidson Bostic, underscoring the importance of chess at the national level. In Saint Lucia, the visit centered on institutional development. Meetings with the Saint Lucia National Olympic Committee addressed closer cooperation and the federation’s potential integration into the Olympic structure, alongside broader collaboration with the International Olympic Committee. In Panama, Dvorkovich marked chess’s debut in the South American Youth Games, symbolizing FIDE’s push to integrate chess into multi-sport events. Read more: fide.com/arkady-dvorkovich-a… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

✨ Schackfyran: Sweden’s chess-in-education initiative bringing thousands of children together In Sweden, chess is not just a game — it is a powerful tool for education, inclusion, and community building. One of the most remarkable examples of this approach is Schackfyran, a nationwide school project that brings tens of thousands of children to the chessboard every year. ♟ Developed in 1978, Schackfyran has introduced more than half a million students to chess. Today, around 25,000 fourth-grade students from over 1,000 classes participate annually, making it one of the largest chess competitions in the world. But Schackfyran is far more than a competition. “This is a social project. We don’t care if the children become great chess players — the idea is to strengthen the group,” explains Jesper Hall, one of the key figures behind the initiative. Unlike traditional tournaments, Schackfyran focuses on participation rather than performance. Each student contributes to their class’s result: one point for playing, two for a draw, and three for a win. This system encourages full class involvement, where stronger players support and motivate their classmates. 🔸 The 2026 national final, held during the Chess Party in Stockholm, brought together more than 3,000 children in a vibrant celebration of chess. The atmosphere was closer to a festival than a traditional tournament, with students cheering for their classmates and celebrating achievements together. The impact of Schackfyran goes far beyond the chessboard. 👏 As part of the Year of Chess in Education 2026, Schackfyran stands out as a leading example of how chess can be integrated into schools not only as a cognitive tool, but also as a way to foster communication, teamwork, and a sense of community. Know an educational chess project making a difference? ✉️ Share it with us at socialmedia@fide.com Read more: fide.com/schackfyran-swedens… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts

♟ FIDE and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF @ischoolchess) are pleased to announce the dates for the African and American Continental stages of the World Schools Team Championship 2026 (WSTC 2026). As part of the global WSTC cycle, continental events bring together leading school teams from around the world, with best teams qualifying for the Grand Final at the end of the year. 🌍 African Continental Stage 🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa 🗓 July 6–11, 2026 🌎 American Continental Stage 🇨🇷 San Jose, Costa Rica 🗓 August 11–16, 2026 🔗 Read more: fide.com/fide-and-iscf-annou… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts / @FIDEschoolChess

♟ From chessboards to classrooms: How AI is transforming education From April 24–26, international experts in education, technology, and chess gathered in 🇪🇸 Menorca, Spain, for the “Chess & AI in Education” Congress, organized under the framework of the FIDE. The event brought together leading voices to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way chess is taught, learned, and applied – both inside and beyond the classroom. 🔗 Read more: fide.com/from-chessboards-to… #EducationalChess2026 #EveryLessonCounts