Graham Jurgensen, the Executive Director of the Kasparov Chess Foundation-Africa (KCF-A), was in Kigali to officiate at the just concluded 2016 Rwanda Open tournament and visit schools where a pilot phase of a MiniChess programme funded by his organization is on track.

Times Sport’s James Karuhanga caught up with him to get a glimpse into the foundation’s work in promoting chess in Rwanda and the Minichess project. Below are the excerpts.

KCF-A has sponsored the 2016 Rwanda Open Chess Championships. Tell us about the Foundation.

The Kasparov Chess Foundation Africa is a public benefit organization which is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. We focus on promoting chess as a tool for education and social development across Africa. 

We were the third regional chapter to be opened and we also have offices in New York, Brussels, Singapore and Mexico City. Our founder and chairman is the 13th World Chess Champion, Grandmaster Garry Kasparov.

What was your overall impression as regards to this tournament?

I was very pleased with the level of organization and the fact that the tournament attracted players from Burundi, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Chess is growing rapidly in Rwanda and the progress is clear both from the improvement in the overall standard of play as well as the organization of tournaments.

When did the relationship between KCF-A and Rwanda start and what has been achieved to date?

We have been working closely with the Rwanda Chess Federation for almost 18 months now and the relationship covers both chess as a sport and chess as an educational tool. 

We have run three rated tournaments together and we also sponsor a fantastic educational programme called MiniChess which is currently running in five primary schools in the country.

The program reaches more than 1,000 children every week and is expected to grow rapidly now that the many benefits of chess can be demonstrated at the local schools that are participating.

Chess is not played by many Rwandans despite the fact that millions of people elsewhere like it. Why should schools, or parents, in Rwanda be interested? What benefits?

Many people think that chess is not very popular but in fact the opposite is true. Worldwide, more than 700 million people are estimated to play chess. 

The World Chess Federation is actually the second largest sporting federation in the world in terms of the number of member federations. It is second only to FIFA!

The benefits of chess are actually enormous. By playing chess, children develop or sharpen the ability to visualize patterns in their minds. They create plans and focus their thoughts and energies. 

Chess is extremely effective as an educational tool as it involves all aspects of critical thinking, it demands children to take responsibility for their actions, and it improves problem-solving skills. 

Chess also raises self-esteem, teaches determination, self-motivation and sportsmanship and can be enjoyed by children from all social backgrounds, ages, races and genders.

How is the MiniChess program that KCF-A is piloting in Rwandan primary schools different from chess?

MiniChess is very different from the game of Chess as a sport as it is actually an educational program! It was developed in South Africa and has been very successful when used to teach entry phase learners which we define as children between the ages of five and nine years old. 

Its big differentiator is that it does far more than simply teach children how to play chess! Instead, we focus on the development of basic concepts that form the foundation for development of math, critical thinking and life-skills in future years.

Where else is it running and what are the experiences from other countries?

MiniChess is currently running at more than 250 African schools and is reaching in excess of 55,000 learners per week. 

We have active programs in South Africa, Rwanda, Madagascar, Lesotho and Uganda. Kenya also recently launched operations and we expect to add at least another five countries this year.

The feedback is extremely positive. Teachers and Headmasters are continually contacting us to tell us that the program has made a huge difference to their children. 

A number of university studies have also shown that the program has made a marked difference to the academic performance of children who have participated in the program.

A year after its introduction in Rwanda, how are things progressing?

I am very pleased with our progress in Rwanda to date as all the participating schools are providing positive feedback.

I met with a local headmaster from one of the participating schools earlier this week and he reported that the repeat rate of their P1 level students had dropped by more than 50% between 2014 and 2015. 

These are the kind of results that tell us that the program will have the same impact in Rwanda that we are seeing in the other countries.

Any new plans for Rwanda then?

Absolutely! We are setting up MiniChess Rwanda as a local company so that more schools and children across the country can access the benefits. Very soon, any local school or community centre that wants to use the program will be able to do so.

If schools are interested in MiniChess, what should they do?

I would suggest that they contact the Rwanda Chess Federation directly so that federation officials can demonstrate how the program works and explain the next steps to them.

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