The International Chess Federation (FIDE) today announced an aggressive expansion of its global capacity-building framework, deploying targeted educational funding through the FIDE Chess in Education Commission (EDU) to scale up the Preparation of Teachers (PoT) course program across multiple continents.
The project forms a critical leg of FIDE’s comprehensive €1.6 million Development Fund for 2026, which has reserved specific grants for training national trainers, arbiters, and educators. By investing heavily in the PoT pipeline, FIDE aims to equip classroom leaders with the infrastructure needed to introduce chess as an academic vehicle for critical thinking and 21st-century skill development.
Specialized 15-Hour Instructor Pathways
The PoT courses operate as intensive 3-day or 4-day (15-hour) training blocks specifically designed for educators, school instructors, and chess trainers. Led by Senior Lead Instructors, the curriculum covers digital classroom management, instructional psychology, and practical teaching strategies rather than pure competitive mechanics.
Candidates who successfully navigate the course assessments qualify for the globally recognized FIDE School Instructor (SI) title.
Grassroots Impact and Infrastructure Funding
Rather than confining training to centralized hubs, FIDE is underwriting localized PoT expansions to reduce entry barriers for national federations:
- Middle East & Africa Expansion: Recent funding cycles successfully backed a major regional PoT course in Egypt for 30 participants across 8 Arab nations, alongside specialized online initiatives running in Ghana.
- North American On-Site Milestones: Highlighting the global push, August 2026 marks the arrival of the first-ever in-person FIDE School Instructor Seminar in New York City.
Lifetime Digital Benefits for Certified Educators
To maximize the long-term sustainability of the funding, FIDE has secured direct platform sponsorships. Every successful PoT graduate receives a valuable suite of structural coaching resources:
- Premium Data Access: Lifelong access to the Opening Master Premium chess database, giving teachers over 10 million official over-the-board games for study.
- Integrated Coaching Tools: Complete access to the Chesspertise Platform, linking analytical engines, database tracking, and classroom administration.
- Official Curriculum: The comprehensive FIDE Teachers Chess Curriculum textbook to seamlessly weave chess into official school hours.
