Record numbers at school chess: *"It helps against bullying"*

More than 60,000 young people across the country are playing chess today, setting a new participation record for Schools’ Chess Day.

At Alssund School in Sønderborg, first graders are playing chess using only pawns. (Photo: © Gert Eilrich, DR)

Over 350 schools nationwide are taking part today, with horses, pawns, kings, and queens.

> "As soon as they see me, they shout: 'Yes! We’re going to play chess!'"

> — Lone Søe, teacher

Schools’ Chess Day is in full swing, and at Alssund School in Sønderborg, the square boards with black and white squares have been brought out. Here, students have been practicing all week to ensure there were enough chessboards for every grade to host its own tournament.

But even though they started preparing for Schools’ Chess Day at the beginning of the week, today is when the best players from each grade meet in the final.

One of them is Mohammad Mrsus, a sixth grader whose secret is to stay calm.

- "You shouldn’t overthink it," he says.

Malte Ogilvie is another sixth grader who has been bitten by the game.

- "I prefer chess to soccer. I like the strategic aspect and the fact that it’s just one-on-one."

For Malte Ogilvie, it’s not just school time that’s spent playing chess. He’s also been playing it in his free time for a few years, he explains.

Listen to Malte Ogilvie talk about his chess experience:

---------------------------

Chess helps socially

---------------------------

Lone Søe is a teacher at the school and one of those who has taught the students the rules and how the pieces move on the board.

Even the youngest classes are involved, and although they aren’t very old, they can still benefit from playing chess, she believes.

- "It teaches them to cooperate. It helps prevent bullying and improves their social skills, as they get new partners every time, and it also helps them anticipate what will happen when they make a move."

> "I prefer chess to soccer."

> — Malte Ogilvie.

Despite the fact that chess can take longer to complete than games like 'hopscotch,' students have still become fans of it.

- "As soon as they see me, they shout: 'Yes! We’re going to play chess!'" says Lone Søe.

More than 60,000 young people from across the country are playing chess today with Schools’ Chess Day, and it’s a participation record.

Warning: This article was translated by a Large Language Model, in case of doubt, you can always visit the original source.