Post
by Mike W. Richardt » Thu Feb 05, 2026 8:32 am
I wanted to share a small experience that might be useful for anyone interested in chess in primary schools.
My son is in Year 3 at a local primary school. A few weeks ago, I emailed the school to politely ask whether they had ever considered an after-school chess club or board-gaming club. Our family is involved in the local Taunton board-gaming scene, and I felt it could be a nice balance to the usual activities.
I didn’t receive a direct response — however, shortly afterwards the school announced a weekly after-school board-game club. Whether that was coincidence or whether my email helped nudge the idea along, I honestly don’t know. Either way, it was encouraging to see something non-sporting added.
The school is very sport-focused (which is great — my son does sport five days a week), but it’s good to see room made for activities that develop concentration, problem-solving, patience, and social skills — very much the ethos behind Chess in Schools–style programmes.
Practical thoughts on setting up a primary school chess club - I was helping out teaching kids chess in Germany in the 1990/early 2000:
Start informal: drop-in play works better than heavy structure early on
Keep sessions short (45–60 minutes is plenty)
Expect mixed abilities and focus on learning rather than competition
Emphasise thinking skills, fair play, and resilience over results
Minimal equipment is enough to begin
A small amount of adult supervision makes a big difference
My takeaway is that schools are often open to chess — they’re just busy. Sometimes a polite, low-pressure suggestion is enough to get something started.
Interested to hear how others have approached chess in primary schools and what’s worked well.
