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In September 2021, a pilot project of FIDE/UNCHR, Girls Club Chess for Protection Kakuma 2021/2022, was launched by the World Chess Federation (FIDE), United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Lutheran World Federation, Kenya Chess Federation and Kakuma Chess Club.

Kenya is one of the biggest refugee-hosting countries in Africa and the world, hosting over 508,000 refugees mainly from the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region. Over 40 per cent of all refugees reside in Kakuma refugee camp. The majority of the refugee population in Kakuma and Kalobeyei consists of children and youth.

The project started in the Angelina Jolie primary school with an attendance of 40 students. Chess lessons were held twice a week, once with titled coaches from FIDE WGM Anastasia Karlovich and IM Salome Melia, and once with a local tutor with Peter Diing coordinating in Kakuma.

Within the project, girls not only learn chess but also read and discuss books, improve various skills and achieve personal goals. Apart from acquiring an excellent hobby, entertainment and socialisation, participants could build essential life skills: make their own decisions and take responsibility for them; learn how to correct mistakes, if necessary; improve memory skills; build attention focus skills; develop logic and creativity; increase self-awareness; and recover self-respect, self-esteem and self-confidence.

As the next step in this project, led by FIDE vice president Anastasia Sorokina and FIDE managing director Dana Reizniece-Ozola, a curriculum to be used at other refugee camps was published recently. It was prepared by WGM Anastasiya Karlovich, WFM, IA Shohreh Bayat and WFM Martina Skogvall, and reviewed by WIM Natalija Popova.

White to play and mate (Magnus Carlsen v L Quang Lim, FTX Crypto Cup 2022)

Solutions for chess problems published online on August 14: Ganguly 39... Kg8 40 Qh7+!! Kxh7 41 Nf6+ Kh6 42 Nxf7#; Li 48 Nf6?? Ne2+ 49 Kxe2 Qd1+ 50 Kxd1 - (48 Qe8+ Kh7 49 Qe7+ Kh6 50 Qf6+ Kh7 51 Nc3 Qb2 52 Ne4 1-0); Veiga 26 Qxh7+ Kxh7 27 Rh3+ Nh4 28 Rexh4+ Kg6 29 Rg4+ Kf6 30 Bg5+ 1-0.

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Learning life skills through chess - Times of Malta