The Chess Educator – Vítor Manuel Barroso Cardoso

Throughout the years, we have met many educators from all over the world in our Training Courses and Discussion Group Meetings who are doing a great job with Chess in Education. We want to introduce their unique perspectives and share their stories that might be of interest and inspiration to others.

Interview:

Tell us a little bit about your background, education and work:
I hold a degree in Geography. I have been a teacher since 2002 across various educational levels (having worked in schools in the districts of Porto, Bragança, Vila Real, Lisbon, Viseu, Beja, Faro, and Ponta Delgada). I have been working with chess in school since 2012, with students ranging from primary school to secondary level.

How did you become interested in and what was your experience with chess before teaching it?
My personal chess experience came from playing in a school setting, in a casual and non-competitive way, mostly through self-teaching and sporadic practice.

What was your journey as a chess educator like so far? When and how did it begin?
My work with chess began in 2012, when I was challenged to become one of the coordinators of the Chess Club at Escola Básica Integrada dos Ginetes, on São Miguel Island in the Azores, continuing the excellent work already carried out by other teachers. That same year, following specific training on teaching chess, I worked with two 4th-grade classes to promote chess learning.

The following year, after returning to mainland Portugal and working at the Colos School Group in Odemira, I had the opportunity to continue the work started the previous school year, teaching and encouraging students from seven 4th-grade classes in this school group to learn and practice chess. Some of these students already played chess at home and showed good proficiency in the sport.

Portugal presents a wide range of realities. Some regions have a strong chess tradition embedded in schools and society, while others see chess merely as a casual game, not a sport. In these areas, it is harder to engage youth and have their families value chess as a legitimate activity worthy of support and tournament participation.

Between 2014 and 2016, I proposed chess-related activities to various public and private entities. In 2017, I began working with the Municipality of Felgueiras on the implementation of the “Felgueiras Chess” project, which is still ongoing. Through this project, primary school students were given the opportunity to learn chess, with each class having at least 60 minutes of chess instruction per week. Each school group in the municipality could choose to include this municipal offering in their Enrichment Curriculum Activities each academic year.

From the 2017/18 school year onward, I also started collaborating with CLDE Tâmega (the organisation responsible for School Sports in the Tâmega region), and I took over the organisation of the local competitive chess calendar. In 2017/2018, there were 5 school chess teams; in the 2024/2025 school year, that number grew to 21 school teams with several hundred students competing throughout the year.

The Felgueiras Chess Project has enabled the organisation of various competitive events, both within the school sports system and the broader chess community. One highlight is the Felgueiras Chess Championship, a year-long competition open to all, launched in 2021/2022, which reached its fourth edition in 2024/2025 with dozens of participants, including both federated and non-federated players.

At the same time, I have been involved in training teachers on how to introduce and promote chess in school settings. I’ve delivered several training sessions for educators focused on integrating chess into the classroom and school culture.

As a speaker, I have also participated in several experience-sharing events on chess and how it can be implemented in schools and the wider community. Highlights include being part of the speaker lineup at the London Chess Conference in 2020, the II International Meeting of Chess Researchers in 2020, the VII Lousada Education Conference, and the III International Meeting of Chess Researchers in 2021.

In the context of federated chess, I have participated in several tournaments and since 2021, have taken on roles such as tournament arbiter and/or director in various official competitions, as well as organising numerous chess tournaments.

In December 2017, I began a collaboration with GOLO.FM, a radio station dedicated exclusively to sports, where I am the author and host of a *weekly chess segment* covering national and international chess news. It airs every Friday at various times. I was also the creator and presenter of a *biweekly TV program about chess* on the online channel *NOVUM CANAL*, which aired between 2020 and 2023.

What inspired you to start using chess as an educational tool? What was your motivation? What was your driving force?
Besides my passion for chess (despite never being a registered player or formally trained), the initial challenge presented by the school in 2012 made me realise chess’s immense potential in education, enhancing students’ concentration, analytical skills, and community involvement, including teachers, families and local actors.

What challenges have you faced in promoting Chess in Education, and how have you overcome them?
One of the main challenges is engaging students in learning and playing chess. In primary school, challenges vary by grade level: 1st graders have limited concept understanding and shorter attention spans, so lessons must be more playful. 3rd and 4th graders have better foundational skills but may find
chess less appealing compared to other sports they’re already involved in. In middle and high school (from age 10 up), the challenge is competing for students’ limited free time—many are already involved in multiple activities, and chess is often a lower priority. It’s common for students to miss weekend events due to other commitments or a lack of transportation. The key is to keep going, believing in the work and the potential to attract more students. If only five or six attend an activity, that’s a start toward reaching more next time.

What makes you keep going? How do you keep your teaching practice fresh and up to date?
My motivation comes from setting up boards at school and seeing students, even those considered disengaged, sit down and play, again and again, improving week by week.

Any other interest in personal and professional development?
I want to improve my chess skills and performance in competitions. Professionally, I aim to become a better Geography teacher who can truly engage students. In chess, I want to keep developing as a coach, organiser, and leader to attract more people to the game. Participating in ECU training courses allowed me to learn about different realities and challenges in promoting chess among youth and the broader community. It also introduced me to proven methodologies and approaches to promoting personal development and student growth through chess.

Plans for the future? What are your long-term goals?
At the club level, my major goal is to organise a FIDE-rated tournament with some of the top 20 national players in Portugal.

How would you describe your teaching philosophy?
In school sports, my approach focuses on short playing sessions with move analysis during games, due to limited time (often only 20–30 minutes during lunch breaks). In classroom settings with primary students, I take a step-by-step approach: teaching piece movement, different plays and positions, move
analysis strategies, and clock handling to prepare them for competition. Above all, I emphasise celebrating small victories to keep students motivated.

Any positive impact (life skills, academic benefits, etc.) you see on students learning chess?
Besides improvements in concentration, attention, analysis, and time management, chess helps students deal with success and failure, since no one always wins or always loses in chess.

What is the most valuable lesson chess has taught you in life?
In life, as in chess, there’s success and failure, but there’s always the chance to try again.

What are the values you want to pass on to the next generation?

Are there any unique programs, approaches, initiatives or partnerships you’ve developed that others might learn from?
Not exactly a unique method or a “philosopher’s stone,” but two strategies have been key:

• In schools, involving parent-teacher associations as partners who can promote initiatives and attract more students and families.
• More broadly: developing a communications strategy targeting local, regional, and national media, which increases the visibility and perceived value of chess, attracting more support and openness from local and regional entities.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to introduce chess in their school or community but doesn’t know where to start?
The first step is not being afraid to take a chance. The second is to set up boards and pieces near the students and invite them to play.