Chess with a room full of kids

Playing chess at home is a fine way to start. But in a room full of kids, everyone plays a little differently. So every new opponent can teach you something new.

Two ways to earn it

• At school, it can be a chess lesson, an after-school club, or break time with a friend.
• In a chess group, it can be a club, a library group, or friends who meet each week.

Playing there one time is enough, and it counts whether you win or lose.

What a school chess club is like

A school chess club is run by a teacher, a parent or a visiting coach. It meets after lessons or at lunchtime. Kids of many ages sit and play together, and beginners are welcome. If you know how the pieces move, you are ready to join. On most days you just play, but on some days a short lesson comes first. Some clubs end the term with a mini tournament, a small contest of several games. In 2026, school teams even played each other for a world title.

No chess at school yet?

Ask a teacher if you may bring a chess set to break time. Break is short, so play a quick game you can finish before the bell. If there is no chess group near you, get two friends and a board and meet every week. Now you have your own chess group. If you learn chess at home instead of at school, you earn this sticker in a chess group.

How you get the sticker

Tell your grown-up or coach where you played. Show them a photo of the board, the club schedule or the sign-up sheet. Your grown-up or coach checks it and hands you the sticker. At school, your teacher can check it too. If you have no club and no coach, then your grown-up at home checks it. Did you play chess at school before you had the passport? It still counts.