Learning to play chess teaches children skills they will use throughout their lives, from problem solving and logical thinking to social skills such as foreseeing the consequences of one's actions and coping with adversity. As well as aiding children's academic development, these skills combine to create rounded - and employable - individuals.

How we help...

Working exclusively with state-sector schools, our mission is to make these benefits available to everyone, not just those from more fortunate backgrounds. Children are taught by one of our trained tutors, using a 30-week curriculum that assumes no prior knowledge and progresses from the rules of the game to foundational tactics and strategy. Schools receive all the necessary equipment, training for staff and free entry to activity days at the London Chess Classic.

...and how you can help

There are multiple ways to support chess in the classroom. We have previously run a popular volunteering scheme with Barclaycard employees, who gave over 2,400 hours of their time in 2015, which featured Yes2Chess, an online chess tournament for schools across eight countries.

Thanks to the Reed's School Foundation, we have launched our first schools cluster in Merton. By reducing travel costs, this maximises cost-effectiveness; for example £15,000 will support a cluster of five schools, each with an additional extra-curricular club, for a full year.

Are there other ways you would like to partner with us? To discuss further, please contact the Chief Executive, Malcolm Pein.

Read our executive summary.