School children play chess on the roof of London’s O2 Arena
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: @pointerschoolFacebook: 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.
Chess world descends on London for FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships
London is set to host the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships from 10th to 16th June, bringing together top world players, chess legends and emerging talents. Launched in 2023 by The International Chess Federation (FIDE), the event has grown quickly, attracting companies and organisations from around the world that have assembled teams made up of players of all levels, from die-hard professionals to recreational enthusiasts. In 2024, the World Blitz Teams championship was added to the event, which resulted in more teams taking part and an increased prize pool. The third edition of the event will see 54 teams take part, with each numbering nine players, including one female player and one amateur (with a FIDE rating of under 2000 ELO). The total prize fund is €500,000 (£421,000), €310,000 will go to the Rapid tournament, €190,000 is earmarked for the Blitz. Who is playing? The lineup for the event includes many of the world’s top players, with 116 Grandmasters. The field is led by the WR Chess Team – winners of the 2023 Rapid and the 2024 Blitz Championship. Steered by the experienced German coach and GM, Jan Gustafsson, WR Chess has assembled the world’s strongest GMs. Starting with World No 2 rated Hikaru Nakamura (pictured below), WR Chess also has Alireza Firouzja, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Wesley So, Jan-Krzysztof Duda as well as former women’s world champions, Alexandra Kosteniuk and Hou Yifan. For the third year in a row, team owner Wadim Rosenstein will take charge of the non-professional board. With an average rating of nearly 2700, they are the absolute favourites. Photo: Michal Walusza Hexamind, a new entrant, fields chess heavyweights such as Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Anish Giri and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. The team has focused on the future of chess, with the inclusion of 18-year-old Volodar Murzin (who won the 2024 World Rapid Chess Championship) and brothers Platon (9) and Mark (5) Panarin. KazChess from Kazakhstan has Richard Rapport, Alexander Grischuk and Parham Maghsoodloo on the top three boards, while Freedom – who won second place in the 2023 Rapid – will have the former world champion Vishwanathan Anand on board one. Captained by GM Emil Sutovsky, the team also includes Le Quang Liem, Samuel Sevian, Rauf Mamedov and former women’s world Rapid and Blitz champion, Anna Muzychuk (pictured below). Photo: Mark Livshitz Team MGD1, a strong contender in the previous two editions (securing third place in 2023), has restructured to adopt a more international lineup. While Arjun Erigaisi is still on board one, with Pentala Harikrishna on board two, Spain’s David Anton is on board three while Stavroula Tsolakidou from Greece is on the women’s board. Another strong contender is the team of Uzbekistan, fielding the strongest Uzbek players – Abdusattorov, Sindarov and Kasimdzhanov. Other world-class players participating in the event include former world champion candidate Boris Gelfand, England’s 2700-player Luke McShane as well as former world champion candidate Nigel Short and world-class players, Alexei Shirov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. The schedule: First the Rapid, then the Blitz The event will start on Wednesday, 11th June, with the World Rapid Teams Championship. The 12-round Swiss tournament will span three days, with four rounds played daily, and a time control of 15 minutes plus a 10-second increment per move. Then, the World Blitz Teams will then take place – on 14-15th June, featuring a two-phase structure: a round-robin group stage followed by knockouts. The teams will be divided into pools of approximately the same strength, with 16 squads qualifying for the knockout stage. The time control in the Blitz is sharp: three minutes for the whole game, with a two-second increment per move. A step in the right direction The London event follows successful editions in Düsseldorf (2023) and Astana (2024). “FIDE and our partners are proud to bring the third edition of the World Rapid and Blitz Teams tournament to London, an important global hub for chess. After the Global Chess League in October 2024, this is another major international chess event we are hosting in London,” FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich said. “With nearly 60 teams – not just from chess organisations but also private companies – taking part, this event is a step in the right direction to promote chess globally and build bridges among people”, Dvorkovich added. How to watch/attend The event will be streamed live on FIDE’s YouTube channel with expert commentary by GMs Daniel King and Jovanka Houska, while tickets for the rounds can be purchased here: tickets.fide.com/. The tournament is taking place in Novotel London West, located in Hammersmith in West London. Official website: worldrapidblitzteams2025.fide.com/