Costa Rica plans to introduce chess into the educational process

How Costa Rica Plans to Integrate Chess into the Educational Process

Sometimes change in education begins not with loud declarations, but with a simple yet profound idea. Not merely to add another subject for the sake of quantity, but to find a genuinely useful tool that helps develop thinking, attention, discipline, and the ability to interact with others.

That is what the story of Costa Rica looks like today, where chess is gradually becoming part of the education system. What is especially interesting is that the country is not following the path of beautiful slogans, but is building a systematic approach: passing a law, signing agreements with the ministry, training teachers, launching pilot schools, and planning to analyze the results further.

Why Is Costa Rica Paying Attention to Chess Specifically?

School education around the world faces the same challenge: children must be taught not just to memorize, but to think. And here, chess turns out to be far more useful than it might seem at first glance.

As early as 2022, Costa Rica passed a law that officially identified the development of chess in schools as a matter of public importance. Chess there is viewed not only as a sport, but also as a pedagogical tool capable of contributing to the comprehensive development of students.

The point is not simply for schoolchildren to learn how the knight moves and how to deliver checkmate, but to use the game to develop concentration, critical thinking, and life-relevant skills and abilities. This is exactly the approach supported by both FIDE and Costa Rica’s Ministry of Education.

How Is It Actually Being Introduced?

The key point is that the country is not rushing to make chess mandatory in every classroom right away. Instead, it is first creating a legislative foundation, then building partnerships, and only after that moving into practice.

After the law was passed, work began between the Ministry of Education, sports organizations, and the national chess federation. In November 2023, a cooperation agreement was signed with the goal of promoting chess instruction and practice in schools.

This step may seem unobvious, but it is extremely important. Very often, ideas like this remain only on paper or in conference halls, whereas in Costa Rica the state and the federation agreed to work together. That makes it not just an idea, but a full-fledged project with organizational support.

What Path Has Costa Rica Chosen?

The country is not interested in a massive but uncontrolled rollout of chess. Instead, it is launching a pilot project: ten public schools are taking part in an initiative implemented jointly by FIDE, regional and national chess organizations, and the ministry.

This is the foundation of the entire effort. Chess here is not meant to be a random club for a few enthusiastic children, but part of the learning environment, one that teachers actively work with. FIDE emphasizes the importance of structure, measurability, and practicality for educators.

This approach is what separates a thoughtful reform from a simple “pro-chess” campaign. Costa Rica does not just want to talk about the benefits of chess — the country intends to test how to integrate the game into lessons in a real way and without creating unnecessary burden.

What Is the Project Based On?

The first principle is inclusivity. At the chess summit in San José, it was specifically emphasized that the project is aimed at accessibility for different groups of students, without exclusions.

The second principle is care for student well-being. Chess is not meant to become a harsh competitive environment for future champions, but rather a tool to support attention, emotional stability, and a positive atmosphere in school.

The third is simplicity for teachers. It is no secret that if a new idea is too complicated for educators, it is doomed. That is why the Costa Rican approach is trying from the very beginning to make the model as clear and practical as possible for everyday school life.

Why Is Teacher Training So Important?

Any initiative quickly loses momentum if teachers are left without support. Costa Rica understands this well.

The website of a special commission under the Chess Federation directly states that the goal is to strengthen chess teaching by providing resources, training, and methodological support. In other words, it is not enough to simply hand out chessboards and pieces; the aim is to create an environment in which the teacher receives clear materials, support, basic preparation, and a realistic format for using chess in the classroom.

In March 2026, a special Chess and Education summit was held in San José, bringing together teachers, officials, researchers, and chess players. The program included both theoretical presentations and practical workshops. This clearly shows that the effort is not about theory alone, but about real steps.

What Does Costa Rica Ultimately Want to Achieve?

The project in ten schools is only the beginning. If the experience shows positive results, the model is planned to be expanded across the entire country. Moreover, the project could become part of a national strategy закрепленная in educational plans and budgets.

That is where the reason for interest in this story far beyond Costa Rica lies. If chess really helps the educational process without adding unnecessary burden, the country could become a model for the entire region — showing how an intellectual sport can gradually become part of state policy in education.

Why Is This Case Important Not Only for Chess?

In reality, this is a story about schools searching for new tools that help develop the child without turning education into an endless race of tests and reports. Chess successfully combines several goals at once: it teaches logic, improves attention, develops decision-making ability, trains patience, and also creates a space for communication, respect for others, and emotional self-management.

Official materials constantly emphasize that chess is a means of cognitive, social, and personal development.

That is why this project does not look like an idea only for chess fans. It is seen as part of a broader educational concept.

What Challenges Still Remain?

It must be acknowledged that not everything goes smoothly. Even with good laws and support, challenges remain: there may not be enough trained teachers, the burden on schools may grow, access to resources varies, and one local model is not always easy to scale across an entire country.

But unlike many other initiatives, Costa Rica is moving through clearly defined stages: law, cooperation, pilot, evaluation, and then expansion. Such a sequence increases the chances of a sustainable reform, so that everything does not burn out after the first wave of enthusiasm.

Conclusion

In the end, Costa Rica does not see chess as a trendy addition or a decorative experiment for reports. It is an attempt to build a systematic tool that, through law, partnership, training, and evaluation, will become part of the school environment.

If it succeeds, the country may become one of the first in the region to make chess not a symbol, but a real element of education.

And then the issue will no longer be simply the ability to play, but the ability to teach children to think more deeply.