Over the past few years the School Chess Committee of the Greek Chess Federation has accomplished something genuinely transformative: bringing chess into Greek classrooms in a structured and sustainable way. In May 2022, three educational programs for Kindergarten, Primary School, and Junior High School were officially approved by the Institute of Educational Policy (IEP) of the Ministry of Education. Chess is now taught through the Skills Labs framework, fostering strategic thinking, concentration, and creativity.
To support this growth, the Federation established a Teachers’ Training Committee in 2025, working closely with the School Chess Committee. Its goal is to equip educators across Greece with the knowledge and tools needed to teach chess both in schools and in after-school clubs, creating a strong foundation for future generations of students.
At the same time, innovation has remained at the heart of the School Chess Committee’s work. In the summer of 2025, the Inter-Island Chess Actions connected students from geographically distant communities through online chess competitions. Fourteen schools across eight islands, involving 65 students, took part in lessons, tournaments, and team events that promoted cooperation, friendship, and fair play. The initiative helped reduce the sense of isolation often experienced in island communities by using chess and technology to connect young people across Greece.
This outreach continues through the new “Chess Bridges” initiative, which aims to include more islands as well as remote mountainous regions of mainland Greece, using chess as a shared language among communities.
The School Chess Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee also organized a nationwide pathway of Student Qualifying Championships, attracting 10,000 students. The journey culminated in the 2026 Greek Student Chess Championships, held on May 2–3 in Thessaloniki. Organized by the Greek Chess Federation, with co-organizers including the Ministry of the Interior (Macedonia–Thrace Sector), the Municipality of Thessaloniki, and HELEXPO, the event became one of the largest school chess gatherings in the country.
Hosted at the historic Thessaloniki International Fair, home of the 1984 and 1988 Chess Olympiads, the event welcomed around 1,600 students from 74 schools, alongside more than 3,000 parents and guests. Team championships were held on Saturday, followed by individual events on Sunday with 1,223 participants. Beyond the boards, families enjoyed activities including face painting, children’s workshops, blindfold chess demonstrations, robotics showcases, and exhibition games against the AI-powered SenseRobot.
The closing ceremony brought together leading figures from Greek and international chess, including FIDE Deputy Chair Dana Reizniece, FIDE Vice President Georgios Makropoulos, President of the Greek Chess Federation Stathis Efstathopoulos, and Secretary of the European Chess Union Theodoros Tsorbatzoglou, alongside government officials and institutional representatives, including the Minister for Macedonia and Thrace, Konstantinos Gioulekas.
“Chess has the unique ability to bring together education, culture, and community,” said Makropoulos. “What we are seeing in Greece today is not simply the growth of a sport, but the creation of opportunities for young people to learn, connect, and develop important life skills through chess.”
Through sustained effort, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to education, the School Chess Committee of the Greek Chess Federation, together with the Teachers’ Training Committee, continues to redefine the role of chess in Greek society, using the game not only as a competitive activity, but as a powerful tool for learning, connection, and inspiration.