Chess for recovery.



Join FIDE’s “Chess for recovery” sessions.


Chess is more than a game—it’s a tool for healing, growth, and rebuilding. As part of the FIDE Year of Social Chess, FIDE Social Commission is excited to welcome you to July – The Month of Recovery, featuring a unique International Master Class Series you won’t want to miss.

Why Recovery?
Throughout July, we’re sharing inspiring stories and best practices that show how chess can support recovery from addiction, cognitive challenges, and serious illness.

Where: Virtual event.
Register Online via Zoom link (Meeting ID: 851 4349 2687, Passcode: 930160)
Duration: 45 minutes each (20-minute talk + 20-minute Q&A)
Language: English (but feel free to ask questions in Spanish, Italian, or Portuguese!)

Meet our hosts:

  • Juan Antonio Montero & Rodrigo Barbeito. From Club de Ajedrez Magic Extremadura (Spain)
For over 15 years, this pioneering team has used chess as a tool for psychological recovery and social reintegration. Their work supports individuals in addiction recovery, prisons, senior communities, and people with disabilities—bringing dignity, connection, and transformation through the 64 squares.

Recovery series schedule:6 July | 18:00 CEST – Chess & Addiction Recovery
11 July | 18:00 CEST – Cognitive Impairment & Chess
19 July | 18:00 CEST – Cancer Recovery & the Chessboard
27 July | 18:00 CEST – Down’s Syndrome & Inclusive Chess

Special author session: A Wizard’s Guide to Family Recovery

25 July | 18:00 CET
Join us for a powerful conversation with Lance Wilson, author and mental health advocate. Lance will share how chess became a source of strength and meaning during his personal journey—and how it helped shape his book’s message of hope and healing.

Key topics:
  1. How chess supported his recovery from trauma
  2. Key takeaways from his book, grounded in lived experience
  3. How the game can guide us through life’s toughest moments

Whether you’re a coach, therapist, educator, or simply curious, these sessions offer new tools, powerful stories, and renewed hope.

We look forward to welcoming you. Join FIDE’s “Chess for recovery” sessions!
FIDE Social Commission

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chess is a two player strategy board game.

Image
About 70% of the adult population (US, UK, Germany, Russia, India) has played chess at some point in their lives, 605 million adults play chess regularly.  Chess is a two player strategy board game where the aim is to move different types of playing piece, each with a prescribed set of possible moves, around a chequered square board trying to capture the opponents ‘king’ piece. Today there are over 2,000 identifiable variants of the game . Mathematically there are more possible games of chess than there are atoms in the Observable Universe.  It is possible to checkmate an opponent in chess in two moves .  The oldest living Grandmaster is Yuri Averbakh who celebrated his 100th birthday in May 2022.
Read more

Chess for Sustainable Development.

Image
The United Nations recognizes that sports , the arts and physical activity have the power to change perceptions, prejudices and behaviours , as well as to inspire people, break down racial and political barriers, combat discrimination and defuse conflict, and therefore contribute in promoting education, sustainable development, peace, cooperation, solidarity, social inclusion and health at the local, regional and international levels. Chess is one of the most ancient, intellectual and cultural games , with a combination of sport, scientific thinking and elements of art. As an affordable and inclusive activity, it can be exercised anywhere and played by all, across the barriers of language, age, gender, physical ability or social status. Chess is a global game , which promotes fairness, inclusion and mutual respect, and noting in this regard that it can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations. Chess also offers important opportunities in th...
Read more