One of the oldest board games in the world is being given a new lease of life in primary schools. Head teachers at 920 primary schools are tackling gadget addiction and short attention spans by offering chess as a compulsory part of the curriculum, more than triple the number three years ago.
Chess in Schools and Communities, the charity behind the programme, expects 1,000 schools to be signed up by the end of the year.
“Chess is educating children while they think they’re playing,” Malcolm Pein, the charity’s chief executive and a former chess professional, said.
“It teaches problem solving, how to plan, how to recognise patterns and a host of softer skills. It’s a low-cost intervention that digitally detoxes children.” Mr Pein, 58, added