Every last Wednesday of the month ChessPlus holds a Discussion Group meeting for chess educators to share and discuss their experiences, ideas, and knowledge on different topics. This event is supported by the European Chess Union.

This month's topic is Strategy Games playable on a chessboard. 

Strategy games have value in their own right. In conjunction with teaching chess, they broaden the variety of games and minigames available to children. They improve engagement and are important for developing confidence in game playing. The presenters worked together on the recently completed 8x8 Project for the Erasmus Plus programme of the European Union which examined the best strategy games for schools for educational purposes.

1 - Strategy Games in Portugal

      by Jorge Nuno Silva

Jorge Nuno Silva is one of the driving forces behind the successful annual National Mathematical Games Championship in Portugal. 

• What is the story behind this event? 
• How are strategy games taught in schools in Portugal? 
• What is the value of these games? 

John interviewed Jorge at the National Mathematical Games Championship in Portugal in 2018.

2 - Chess and Strategy Games in the Classroom - Educational programme for schools 

      by John Foley

A recent innovation in teaching chess in the classroom is to combine chess with strategy games. This gives the teacher more flexibility regarding the range of activities and the level of play which the children can undertake.  ChessPlus at School is an educational programme which offers an integrated approach to teaching chess and strategy games. 

For those interested in learning more about the combined approach to teaching chess and strategy games, an online course is scheduled for 3rd December 2022. 

Chess and Strategy Games in the Classroom