Ulyanovsk kindergartners and first-graders will be taught to play chess soon. Already this year, chess should be taught not as an optional subject but as mandatory in several schools of the region. Later, it is planned to teach Ulyanovsk children the game of chess starting from kindergarten. A memorandum of cooperation was signed at the "New Cooperation" forum held in Ulyanovsk since February 8. It calls for close cooperation between the Ulyanovsk region and chess federation. The federation will help the region with textbooks, tournament organization and training of coaches."It is necessary that chess enter the curriculum as a mandatory subject and on an optional basis as soon as possible," said Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, President of the International Chess Federation. "FIDE’s aim is to popularize chess; our goal is to increase the number of players of this ancient game to one billion people. Now about 600 million people play chess on the globe. Today's forum will increase the number of fans of this game."
However, chess will not be a separate subject in schools. It is planned that children will study it in elementary school either during lessons in mathematics or during physical training. The schools authorities will themselves make a respective decision. In the near future, an order will be signed to start a pilot project, and the first classes will start.
