The new experimental format will showcase chess as a tool for education, inclusion, and personal transformation.
The FIDE Social Commission is hosting an event called Social Chess Blitz Talks, a format built around short, powerful, chess-inspired stories. The Commission is bringing together inspiring individuals to share their unique perspectives and experiences in a concise and impactful way.
Each speaker will deliver a short and insightful talk lasting 5–7 minutes, centered around a single compelling idea or approach. No long slides, no elaborate presentations, just the speaker, their story, and a thought-provoking message that leaves the audience with something meaningful to reflect on.
The event will demonstrate what chess can truly achieve: as an educational tool, a bridge between cultures, a vehicle for inclusion, and a path to personal development. Each talk will be short, focused, and personal. Rather than academic lectures, these will be real stories, insights, and ideas that show what chess can do for society.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Dana Reizniece, Acting Chair of the FIDE Management Board and supervisor and ambassador of numerous FIDE Social projects, including Chess for Freedom, Chess for Protection, and Infinite Chess, will share reflections from years of supporting FIDE’s social initiatives and the communities they serve.
- André Vögtlin, FIDE Social Commission Chair, will showcase the wider impact of social chess and explore how chess mental models can drive social transformation. He is a seasoned advocate for using chess as a force for social good.
- Dr. Das Mukesh, FIDE Social Commission Ambassador and former Executive Director (HR) of India’s largest public sector organisation, Indian Oil Corporation, will share the personal story behind launching the life-changing Chess for Freedom initiative in India, as well as the mindset shift from taking to giving.
- Prabitha Urwyler, FIDE SOC Councillor, Treasurer of the European Chess Union, and Board Member of the Swiss Chess Federation, will answer the question, “What happens when the chessboard becomes a language?” through vivid stories of Chess for Hope participants and what the initiative means in their lives.
- Magnus Wolfe Murray, founder and Executive Director of Movement in Refuge, has more than 30 years of experience working in humanitarian crises, including a decade with the UK Government’s Department for International Development. He will focus on how sport, chess, and movement can help refugees break through barriers to education, wellbeing, and opportunity, an area he believes remains dramatically under-supported despite its potential impact.
- Dijana Dengler, Head of Chess at Overseas Family School in Singapore, FIDE Chess in Education Commission Councillor, co-founder of the Munich Chess Academy and Munich Chess Foundation, and former national team player who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at 12 Chess Olympiads, will share how a chess tournament suitcase led to a life of never returning home, and how chess continued to shape her even after she gave it up.
- Sophia Rohde, Director of the Columbia Grammar Chess Program, New York State President, Vice Chair of Chess in Education USChess, IA and IO, will highlight The Mindful Gambit: Language, Logic, and Life Skills on the Board, exploring chess as a social and emotional tool in the classroom through stories and results from her students.
- Nadia Kravchuk, Director of International Relations at ISCF, will demonstrate the power of moving forward, explaining why social initiatives must help people progress despite their circumstances rather than waiting for the “right time.”
The Social Chess Blitz Talks represent a new chapter in the FIDE Social Commission’s efforts to highlight the tangible social impact of chess across communities worldwide. By stripping away slides and elaborate presentations, the format places each speaker’s personal journey and singular idea at the center, creating an intimate and powerful experience for both speakers and the audience.
The event will culminate with the FIDE Social Chess Award ceremony, a celebration of social chess milestones worldwide.
25 September 2026 11:00–13:00 Silk Road by Minyoun, Samarkand
We look forward to welcoming you to this special Congress event.