FIDE Infinite Chess Project aims to increase knowledge and awareness of chess for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), give practical advice to teachers and parents, study the benefits of introducing to chess and develop various teaching methods.
The pilot project of chess classes for children with ASD is a follow-up of a successful initiative implemented in 2019 in Belarus for 4 groups of 4 kids in each.
In January 2021 a pilot project was supported by FIDE and went global by launching in 6 partner-countries: Spain, Turkey, France, Gibraltar, South Africa and Norway.
It became obvious that teaching chess to children with ASD has a positive impact on their social, communication, and cognitive skills. Lessons were held in 1–3 groups once a week in the equipped classrooms according to the FIDE guidelines.
Having the support of the International Olympic Committee, the first educational program was written: “Methodological guide for teachers to conduct chess classes for children with autism spectrum disorder”. The program is available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic for free download at project’s website.
Each year Infinite Chess team organizes Educational Seminars “Chess for children with an autism spectrum disorder. Learn and teach”. The main goal of this seminar is to provide core knowledge and practical advice for teachers, trainers, and parents who wish to teach chess to kids with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Five seminars have already helped more than 180 participants from 65 countries to explore the ways of teaching chess to kids with ASD, studied our unique training program and got practical advice on how ASD kids can benefit from chess.
In 2023 FIDE, the Asian Chess Federation and Zayed Higher organization signed the MOU, a significant step forward to the further cooperation and expansion of partnership within the Infinite Chess project.
The project thrives in 19 countries for more than150 children with ASD and is coming soon to 6 new more
We finished the 5h stage of the project in May 2024 and with the confirmed support from the International Olympic Committee are busy with expanding the project to African and American continents: Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Nigeria, Cote D-Ivoire, Ghana, Nepal, Malawi.