A New Phase in TSF-MEB ARGEM Partnership: Chess Training Begins for Gifted Students
The cooperation launched between the Turkish Chess Federation and the Ministry of National Education’s Research, Development, Education and Practice Center (ARGEM) stands out as an important step in strengthening the role of chess in education. The training program, which started on 20 April 2026, was implemented in its first phase with the participation of 59 students. At the heart of the project is the goal of supporting the cognitive development of gifted students, advancing their analytical thinking skills, and positioning chess as a powerful learning tool from an early age.
The coaching staff features well-known names from the chess community: WGM Betül Cemre Yıldız Kadıoğlu, WGM Kübra Öztürk Örenli, IM Hasan Kılıçaslan, and FM Serkan Yeke. Under the guidance of these experienced trainers, the lessons cover not only piece movement or basic opening principles, but also the core skills of chess such as planning, calculation of variations, positional evaluation, and sound decision-making. In this way, the program aims to improve both the students’ over-the-board performance and the disciplined thinking habits they can use in everyday life.
The training sessions are scheduled for two days a week, totaling four class hours. The combined use of online and face-to-face instruction offers a flexible and accessible structure for students with different needs. This hybrid approach supports the development of regular study habits while also maintaining strong coach-student interaction. Considering that consistency is a key factor in chess training, this model is expected to help students make steady progress in areas such as calculation strength, concentration span, and endgame awareness.
More than a short-term educational activity, this initiative aims to build a sustainable chess culture within ARGEM. Chess is gaining increasing importance in education because it nurtures skills such as patience, discipline, time management, and multidimensional thinking. With qualified coaching support and a structured training model, the partnership between TSF and MEB ARGEM has the potential to become an exemplary framework that can reach broader student groups in the future. This first step is expected to make a meaningful contribution both to school-based chess programs and to the wider spread of chess across Turkey.