All in chess

Context

The sport of chess is not very popular among young Gabonese people, for both male and female.  The federation has only 50 players, including 5 active female players and 2 chess clubs in Libreville (Gabonese Chess Federation, 2022). Moreover, the limited financial resources of the federation do not allow for a sufficient quantity of didactic material.

And yet, this cognitive sport discipline is a source of many benefits such as patience, calculation and respect for others. 

It is in this context that the project “Tous aux échecs” (All for chess) is situated, the project aims to increase the number of chess players in Gabon.

Goals

• To reach at least 1000 active players in 2 years
• To have at least 250 young girls playing
• Create clubs in Libreville, the capital, but also in the interior of the country
• To train competent coaches and trainers 
• To organise many chess tournaments to sharpen the will of the children
• To have a chess grandmaster

Activities

• Organisation of tournaments to sharpen the players’ resolve
• Organisation of one seminar per year to train development instructors
• Training of referees in collaboration with the federation
• Organisation of training sessions for players
• Publication of articles on chess in a daily newspaper
• Organisation of a ceremony to reward players, clubs and chess personalities who have distinguished themselves during the year
• Organisation of caravans throughout the country to promote chess
• Distribution of chess games and materials to deserving clubs
• Sale of didactic materials or tools to ensure the sustainability of the project         

Impact

• Nearly 1,000 players trained, including 250 women
• 20 clubs established in schools, 5 in high schools and 9 in provincial capitals 
• At least 50 development instructors trained 
• At least 50 players will have an elo (player ranking system)
• The average level of players will improve (about 1400-1500 elo)
• 1 or 2 Fide masters (title of the International Chess Federation) or about 10 titled players in 3 years
• 5 competitions organised per year
• 2-5 scholarship girls per year
• 500 members in the federation after 3 years 
• 2000 games, 500 clocks and several didactic tools acquired by the federation

Photo credit : chess.com