A very interesting project under the name “Gambit” is already in process with chess club from three European countries with the objective to invite, better train, motivate & retain children between the age of 7-12, with special focus on girls & people with fewer opportunities. The idea is to empower chess communities through developing chess clubs’ capacities with training their trainers & developing their training methodologies to improve value, motivation & soft skill development in chess education.
This will be implemented by 3 grassroot chess clubs from 3 different EU countries & the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation as a professional trainer organization. During the project there will be 3 knowledge exchange learning sessions (one in each country) & several online knowledge sharing sessions. After a proper needs assessment at clubs to fine-tune & tailor-make the training methodology, training the trainers’ sessions will be held both online & offline.
The GAMBIT project will directly benefit 139 children from the chess clubs & improve +20 trainers’ methodologies.
Main focus of the project aims to:
- engage more children between 7-12 in chess
- increase number of girls involved
- increase the social inclusion of people in less centric, more rural areas
- achieve well trained & prepared chess trainers with effective professional toolkit at hand
- develop capacities of chess clubs with trained trainers & improved methodologies for motivation & retention
- develop soft skills & improved values of children who take part in regular chess trainings, performing better in school & in personal / social situations
- raise awareness & understanding of chess as a sport, its potential in education, health benefits & possibilities to create a better society on a European level.
The project will disseminate its outputs & lessons learned by sustainable tools such as the organizations’ websites & social media, a project presentation at Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival & a final video with all the experience presented in a GAMBIT final event in Spain.
Participation:
- CLUB D ESCACS LLINARS – SPAIN, Coordinator
- GYŐRI SAKK-KÖR, OKTATÁSI KULTURÁLIS ÉS SPORTEGYESÜLET – HUNGARY, Partner
- JUDIT POLGAR CHESS FOUNDATION – HUNGARY, Partner
- SKAKISTIKOS OMILOS LEON KANTIA – GREECE, Partner
Schedule & Trips:
Gambit project started on 1/2/2024 and will be concluded by 31/7/2025.
The project contains 3 trips in the three participant countries on the following dates:
1st trip: 9-12/5/2024 – Greece
2nd trip: September 2024 – Hungary
3rd trip: June/July 2025 – Spain
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
As part of the GAMBIT Erasmus+ project, the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation participated in the first knowledge-sharing and exchange trip in Heraklion, Crete, from May 9 to 12, 2024. We provided training based on the Judit Polgar Method to chess coaches from Greece, Spain, and Hungary, focusing on how to motivate and retain children in chess clubs. Children were also actively involved in the program, enjoying playful chess classes, tournaments, simultaneous exhibitions, and a hand & brain game on a giant chessboard on the beach. It was a fun and enriching experience for everyone! Thanks to Kostas and Leon Kantia team for the hospitality and organization.
