After ongoing consultations and coordination between the prominent Khanzad Chess Club in Erbil and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Education in recent years, the KRG introduced “the game of chess into its educational curriculum for the 2023-2024 academic year. Grades five to nine will learn chess as part of their physical education courses, and there are now 150 teachers across different schools who have been trained to teach it.

Most developed countries in Europe and East Asia believe chess is a game that fosters creativity, contributes to brainstorming abilities, and boosts intelligence and cognitive power. The Kurdistan Region also has a considerable legacy with the game, which is popular among Kurdish leaders. With the formation of the KRG, several chess clubs were established for players and enthusiasts of the game. Khanzad Chess Club was founded in 1998 and has continued to train players and referees for nearly three decades.

Several textbooks have been selected to help students study the game systematically. School Chess, which was written by a committee at Khanzad Chess Club, is the main text and serves as a guidebook to educate pupils on how to play the game, whether at a beginner or advanced level.

Government support

Dilzar Hama Salih is the Administrator of Khanzad Chess Club and the director of the project to implement chess education in Kurdish schools. In 2018, Salih helped write the first proposal, which was submitted to the Arts’ and Sports Institutes affiliated with the KRG Ministry of Education.

To raise awareness about the introduction of chess into the school curriculum, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani visited Khanzad Chess Club, met with the committee, and reaffirmed the government’s support for this project. He expressed his happiness that chess is now part of the education system in the Kurdistan Region. His excellency reiterated the significance of the game, noting its tradition among his forefathers, as well as his own passion for the strategic game. He even played a game against Salih during his visit to the club.

Salih was very impressed by the technicality and tenacity of Prime Minister Barzani’s chess techniques, which included rapid offensive moves and strong defensive capabilities. He also praised the Prime Minister’s chess talent, stating that his method of playing is that of a leader, as the best defense is a good offense. The game ended in a tie.

A global game

Chess is a strategic and sophisticated game, as well as one of the most popular in the world. It is played between two individuals on a board consisting of 64 cells divided into an 8x8 grid. Pieces are of contrasting colors, commonly white and black. The six different types of pieces are king, rook, bishop, queen, knight, and pawn. Game times can vary between 10 and 60 minutes; in tournaments, they are typically 10 minutes.

Chess dates to the sixth century BC, originating from an ancient king in what is now India. It has long been known as the “Game of Kings” because the playing board is like a miniature battlefield that requires planning, attacking, defending, and overall management.

People all over the world are familiar with chess, with millions of active players. With the development of computer games, chess has become available electronically for enthusiasts and has achieved high rankings among popular computer games.

The game is also widely appreciated for its ability to increase brain activity and improve both intelligence and concentration. Salih is eager to increase the popularity of chess in the Kurdistan Region and elevate the success of Kurdish players on the global stage. “The Kurdish individual is smart and cautious. Unfortunately, this game has only recently been integrated into the education system,” he said.

According to the committee at Khanzad Chess Club that designed the textbook, the Iraqi Chess Federation has requested a translation of the book into Arabic so that it can be included in the Iraqi education system as well.

In the next phase of the project, Salih and his team say that they plan to add chess to university curricula.

Sabr Salih is a journalist based in the Kurdistan Region.