Chess introduced as part of the curriculum in Kurdistan’s educational system

ERBIL, September 24 — The Kurdistan Ministry of Education has incorporated the game of chess into its academic curriculum for physical education classes, citing its benefits in stimulating brain cells. A representative from the Curriculum Department stated that chess will be taught during rainy and snowy days.

Dr. Vian Hussein, Head of the Sports Department at the Curriculum Directorate, told Network 964:

“In 2019, we successfully introduced chess into the academic curriculum of sports institutes, and since then, sports institutes in Kurdistan have been offering chess as a weekly class. During the current academic year, we’ve allocated a portion of the physical education class to cover topics related to the Olympic Games, table tennis, swimming, and chess. During rainy or extremely cold days, students will have the opportunity to study these subjects when they cannot engage in outdoor physical activities.”

Dr. Delzar Hamah Saleh, President of the Khanzad Chess Club, also mentioned:

“We have prepared a guidebook for physical education teachers, which is scheduled to be introduced this year at the intermediate level. The guidebook has been approved by the Ministry of Education to become part of the school curriculum. Currently, chess is being taught in 17 sports institutes in the Kurdistan region.”