A Successful Strategic Move

It began with just a few schools in the 1960s. Today, the organization “Dansk Skoleskak” has won over more than 550 schools to integrate the board game into their curriculum. In this interview, project developer Lene Bierbaum explains why chess can be particularly helpful in the digital age.

Ms. Bierbaum, what motivated you to oversee the Dansk Skoleskak project?
First of all, Dansk Skoleskak was founded as an organization (NGO) in the 1960s by teachers and school administrators. From the very beginning, the goal was to use an activity to promote skills such as concentration, strategic thinking, and motivation for mathematics in a playful learning environment. Today, more than 550 schools in Denmark work with our teaching materials and methods, which have been specifically developed for use with the chessboard. So we are primarily an organization that works in schools with municipal and state support as well as funding from major foundations in Denmark.

Smartphones are taking up more and more space in the lives of even young students. Do you see the project as a counterbalance to increasing digitalization?
Yes! We clearly see the analog activities around the chessboard as a counterbalance to the increasing (mis)use of devices such as smartphones. At the chessboard, children must concentrate on the game and also on the other player. They interact with each other and adapt to one another in meaningful and valuable ways.

What gives you confidence that Skoleskak is valuable for the development of learning ability?
Data. National as well as international studies, including research we have initiated and published internationally, conclude that engaging with chess in school leads to better performance in both mathematics and language, but also promotes a wide range of personal and social skills.