As part of the Year of Chess in Education 2026, the Chess in Education Summit will be held on March 20-21 in San José, Costa Rica, bringing together educators, policymakers, and chess development leaders from across the Americas and beyond.
Organised in cooperation with FIDE, the Confederation of Chess for the Americas (CCA), the Costa Rican Chess Federation (FCA), and the Ministry of Public Education of Costa Rica, the summit will focus on practical models for integrating chess into school systems, with an emphasis on inclusion, student well-being, and ease of implementation for teachers.
The event will also serve as a platform for regional cooperation. Ministerial delegations from several Latin American countries, including Guatemala, Venezuela, and El Salvador, have been invited to participate, alongside national authorities from Costa Rica such as Leonardo Sánchez, Minister of Public Education, and Donald Rojas, Director of the National Institute of Sports and Recreation (ICODER).
A key outcome of the summit will be the launch of a national pilot programme introducing classroom-based chess education in ten Costa Rican schools, developed jointly by FIDE, CCA, FCA, and the Ministry of Public Education.
As part of the public programme, a Women’s Chess Tournament coordinated by Carolina Muñoz will take place on March 20, highlighting the role of chess in empowering girls and women through education and sport.
“During the Year of Chess in Education, our priority is to support countries in implementing chess in classrooms in a meaningful and accessible way. The initiative launched in Costa Rica shows how national authorities and the chess community can work together to place chess at the service of education and student well-being,” said Dana Reizniece, Deputy Chair of the FIDE Management Board.
Registration and participation
The Chess in Education Summit will take place at the Costa Rica Tennis Club in San José and is open to education authorities, teachers, academics, chess federations, and organisations working in educational and social development.
The summit sessions will run over two days, with keynotes on day one (Friday, March 20), and workshops on day two (Saturday, March 21).
Participants may attend either in person or online. In-person registration provides full access to conference sessions, workshops, networking opportunities, and event materials. Participation is limited due to venue capacity.
The international in-person participation package is USD 150 and includes access to the full conference programme and all meals on March 20-21.
Virtual participation is available worldwide via live streaming of keynote sessions.
Register here:
- National participants (Costa Rica): https://forms.gle/9XUSYJtutKodWDp2A
(This form also includes links to the new international registration forms.) - International participants (English): https://forms.gle/NGkka3Fw6QR6UgAB8
- International participants (Spanish): https://forms.gle/UxLdm5wiv1WYXLRBA
Official website: https://chessedusummit.com
Contact: cumbre@chessedusummit.com