Chess outreach programs and February 2025 updates

Details: Published: Sunday, 09 February 2025 18:34; Written by Openingmaster; Hits: 137

Powerful stories of strong minded people effecting hundreds of thousands young children not only in Africa. Tunde Onakoya is now in New York where I met him last time discussing how one can grow up in the Slums one day and next day present at Oxford last year or Harvard and MIT now about positive aspects of chess in outreach communities. Together with Chess in Slums Africa charity programs and The Gift of Chess stories are possible. We shared the latest ones on our social media.

February 2025 update

We brought you the newest updates from Opening Master. Around 60 thousands new human chess games played officially on the tournaments. The results are outstanding. Of course the new chess databases are de-duplicated. We clean and index every month. This month we will also publish the OM 1995 - the cleanest chess databases ever.

OM CORR 2025 02 = 2,235,230 games
OM OTB 2025 02 = 10,331,237 games
OM GOLEM 2025 02 = 31,541,665 games

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This month's topic is:

Chess outreach programs

Chess outreach programs are important for several reasons, as they provide educational, social, and cognitive benefits while promoting inclusivity and community engagement. Free chess programs offer opportunities where educational resources may be limited. It sparks the interest in science, math and other educational fields for children who are destined to be excluded from the world.

Support any of the programs with your own way. Whether by direct sponsorship, donation, grants or direct purchase of the chessboards which travel to these communities. Thank you

1. Educational Benefits

Chess improves problem-solving, logical reasoning, and strategic planning. It enhances critical thinking in children whether they are rich or poor. (financially). Studies show that students who play chess perform better in math, reading, and science and thus boosts academic performance. Young players learn to think before making moves, fostering careful decision-making. Patience and discipline encourages positive learning environment.

2. Social Impact

Chess is accessible to all backgrounds, making it an equalizer in education and opportunity. We need more bridges between social and economic gaps. Chess players learn to handle both victory and defeat gracefully, this is something which is missing to many western children. Parents should realize that chess or any sport teaches sportsmanship and respect of other children or people in general. Chess is an international game, bringing together people from diverse cultures and languages. Whether you are American, Nigerian, Slovak, Chinese or Indian, chess is very good at building cross-cultural connections.

3. Cognitive & Mental Health Benefits

Regular chess practice strengthens cognitive skills, including pattern recognition and mental agility. It improves memory and concentration, is inked to preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia and delays cognitive decline. Players develop patience, persistence, and the ability to recover from setbacks. It encourages emotional resilience.

4. Community & Outreach Goals

Chess outreach programs help keep young people engaged in productive activities. Sometimes it is hard to find a school which is far away from the community. If children attend chess club in their village with just one chess instructor, it will provide them a positive alternative and offer less risky childhood on the street. Free chess programs offer opportunities where educational resources may be limited. Increasing female participation in chess helps break down gender barriers in STEM and leadership.

Cooperation with International Chess Federation (FIDE)

Are you lucky one and just completed the teachers education from FIDE? We have good news for you. According to the Global contract with FIDE, Opening Master provides free access to the teachers who completed successfully the FIDE education course. Please consult with your instructor and FIDE EDU representative how to obtain the free license.

Today, Opening Master is more than just a database; it’s a community that spans the globe, connects non-profits, funds projects or is official educational tool for Global FIDE. We provide monthly updates to players from Slovakia to the USA, Nigeria to Australia, Germany to the UK, and over 160+ countries. Our database is an invaluable resource for players, coaches, and enthusiasts at all levels.

Breaking Records

This month, we are proud to announce that our OM OTB (Over The Board) collection has reached an unprecedented 10,331,237 human chess games. (updated February 9 ,2025) These games are now available for our subscribers to download in both CBV and PGN formats from our cloud folder.

For our correspondence chess players and fans, we also offer the OM CORR special chess database version, featuring 2,235,230 correspondence chess games. Whether you prefer over-the-board play or correspondence chess, we have the resources to help you study, learn, and enjoy the game.