2026: Year of Chess in Education

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) and the International School Chess Federation (ISCF) have officially declared 2026 as the Year of Chess in Education.

- POPOY DE VERA

This landmark initiative by FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich underscores his vision to prioritize education as a vital part of chess’ future. Chess serves as a foundation for developing young minds and promoting critical thinking.

According to Dvorkovich, more than 25 million children and 237,000 teachers and trainers are engaged in educational chess.

The FIDE also announced that a Global Survey on Chess in Education will be conducted this February and invited federations, schools and partner organizations worldwide to provide comparative cross-country data and insights to guide global efforts.

This global survey will gather insights to shape FIDE’s Educational Strategy and Action Plan for 2027-2030, ensuring that chess remains a strong, tool for learning and inclusion.

The survey and action plan will also increase international visibility and recognition as the results will be shared with UNESCO, UNICEF, ministries of education, universities and NGOs

These developments could be the push that Philippine universities need to become more proactive in promoting chess within the school system.

As I discussed in an earlier column, sports development in the Philippines is stagnating due to a fragmented education governance system, from basic to higher education.

The disjointed governance structure is most apparent in higher education, where very few school-based tertiary sports leagues include chess on their calendars. There is no inter-league competition that culminates in a national championship.

The sluggish progress of chess in the country is both discouraging and concerning.