Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club has collaborated with Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) to promote the game in the schools of the emirate.

The joint initiative is the first of its kind and aims to educate about 2,000 students about the basics of chess and discover new talents.

The initiative launched last week will continue for four months, during which associated schools get training on the basics of the game of chess in both Arabic and English through the Zoom platform, with three sessions per week.

More than 500 students between the ages of 6 to 18 years from 32 schools have participated in the training programme under the supervision of group of international trainers.

Jamal Issa Al Midfa, Secretary General of the Sharjah Cultural Chess Club, said: “This stems from the directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who stresses that children should practice sports as a strong shield to face the societal and health challenges of the age.” The Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club was established by Dr Sheikh Sultan and was officially opened in.

Midfa thanked Sharjah Private Education Authority and appreciated their support for the initiative which was the first of its kind.

Stressing on the club’s readiness to handle a large group of school students of all nationalities and impart them training, Midfa said: “The club has a sporting, cultural and educational role to play.

“The organisation of this initiative comes within the framework of the directions of the club management headed by Sheikh Saud Bin Abdul Aziz Al Mualla.”

Omar Numan Al Ali, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Head of the Technical Staff, expressed his happiness with this record participation of male and female students.

“Chess games are known for long periods of silent contemplation, during which players consider each move. Players spend time anticipating their opponents’ responses and attempting to predict every eventuality.

“That habit of mind — careful contemplation and planning — is one of the cognitive health benefits of playing chess,” he added.

“This initiative comes within the series of events and programmes organised by the club and the plan and strategy of the technical staff to discover new talent.”

Ragai Al Susi, executive manager of Sharjah Cultural and Chess Club, said: “The strategic goal of the tournament is to expand the activities and focus on spreading the sport of chess in particular, especially as it has started to witness a turnout and development in recent times due to its distinctive sporting value at the global and Arab level.