Dansk Skoleskak

Dansk Skoleskak is a Danish voluntary social children's and youth organization founded in 1960. It builds on the idea that school chess strengthens children's and young people's academic and social development, so that more experience a life with learning and education. The organization runs learning activities in over 600 schools in Denmark across 90 municipalities as well as in Greenland. It collaborates with school chess organizations in the Faroe Islands, England, Ethiopia, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Germany, the USA and Austria. Dansk Skoleskak is behind the learning program SKAK+MAT®, which combines school chess and mathematics teaching. A research project showed positive results for mathematics learning for all student groups. The organization is a member of the umbrella organization Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd (DUF) and approved as a "Voluntary social children's and youth organization" by the Center for Frivilligt Socialt Arbejde. It also runs the Skoleskaklærer-uddannelsen® (School Chess Teacher Training) and Skolernes Skakdag - hjernens motionsdag® (Schools' Chess Day - the brain's exercise day) on the Friday of week 6. The organization has carried out social, learning and integration efforts together with, among others, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration, the Ministry of Education and the A.P. Møller Foundation.

Dansk Skoleskak was founded in 1960 with teacher Børge Borgå from Aabenraa as one of the initiators. In the 1960/61 school year there were 22 school chess clubs nationwide. By 1965 this number had risen to 112 school chess clubs across 10 regions. The member magazine 'Det Skæve Tårn' was founded in 1966 and changed its name in 1969 to the current 'Skoleskak'. In November 1974 the first individual Danish Championship in school chess was played. In the same year, teacher John Dahlberg in Nørre Aaby on Funen got school chess onto the timetable as part of the schools' teaching offerings. In the 1980s school chess saw its then-largest uptake with 20,000 members nationwide as well as the first Danish Championship in girls' chess. In the 1990s participation fell significantly. In the latter half of the 2000s a growing number of schools, parents and volunteers chose to bring school chess back as part of local schools' learning offerings. In 2007 Dansk Skoleskak was admitted to Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd (DUF). This led to the hiring of the first employees and the establishment of a national office. Dansk Skoleskak is behind the Skoleskaklærer-uddannelsen® (School Chess Teacher Training), where teachers and pedagogues are further trained to teach school chess in schools. Dansk Skoleskak is behind Skolernes Skakdag - hjernens motionsdag® (Schools' Chess Day - the brain's exercise day) on the Friday of week 6, as the brain gymnastics answer to Schools' Sports Day. Dansk Skoleskak has carried out social, learning and integration efforts together with, among others, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration, the Ministry of Education and the A.P. Møller Foundation. In 2010 Dansk Skoleskak, in collaboration with Forlaget Matematik, published the learning material 'SKAK + MAT' aimed at mathematics in grades 1-2. The material uses the game of chess as a method for learning mathematics. Traditional school chess is typically organized by 1-2 teachers/pedagogues in a voluntary offering, where students participate across year groups. The learning program SKAK+MAT® is part of compulsory mathematics teaching, where students in the early school years work with combined school chess and mathematics. SKAK+MAT® is organized by several teachers/pedagogues in mathematics lessons or as part of the supportive teaching used to develop students' mathematics competencies. From 2013 to 2015, Dansk Skoleskak, Aarhus Municipality and TrygFonden's Child Research Center collaborated to investigate the effects of school chess on children's mathematics skills. At five Aarhus schools, a total of 31 classes and more than 600 students were involved in the project, where just over two-thirds of the classes had one weekly mathematics lesson replaced with SKAK+MAT® for 6 months, while the remaining classes served as a control group. The research results were published in TV2OJ's regional broadcast and showed that the students who received school chess teaching became better at mathematics than the control group. It worked for everyone, but especially for boys, top and bottom students and those who sometimes get bored in school. In May 2020, associate professor Christian Quvang (UC SYD Forskning) published a research report on the learning effort Skoleskak For Alle® (SFA). The study consisted of observations and questionnaires from teachers and students who participated in the specialized effort Skoleskak For Alle® - aimed at students in primary school with social and cognitive challenges - in the period 2018-2020. The result of the study showed that school chess supports the development of cognitive competencies such as concentration, memory, logical thinking, (self-)critical thinking and decision-making ability. It also showed that school chess can support academic development in f...

• 2020

  Research report on Skoleskak For Alle® published by Christian Quvang.

• 2013

  Started Aarhus study with Aarhus Municipality and TrygFonden's Child Research Center (2013-2015).

• 2011

  Published report 'Skoleskak som forebyggende specialundervisning'.

• 2010

  Published learning material 'SKAK + MAT' with Forlaget Matematik for grades 1-2.

• 2007

  Admitted to Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd (DUF), leading to first employees and national office.

• 1980

  1980s saw largest uptake with 20,000 members nationwide and first Danish Championship in girls' chess.

• 1974

  First individual Danish Championship in school chess played; teacher John Dahlberg got school chess onto the timetable in Nørre Aaby.

• 1969

  Magazine renamed to 'Skoleskak'.

• 1966

  Member magazine 'Det Skæve Tårn' founded.

• 1965

  Number of school chess clubs rose to 112 across 10 regions.

• 1961

  22 school chess clubs nationwide in the 1960/61 school year.

• 1960

  Dansk Skoleskak founded with teacher Børge Borgå as one of the initiators.

A voluntary social children's and youth organization that uses chess as a pedagogical tool to strengthen academic and social development in schools.

• SKAK+MAT®

  Learning program combining school chess and mathematics teaching, part of compulsory mathematics in early school years.

• Skoleskaklærer-uddannelsen®

  Training for teachers and pedagogues to teach school chess.

• Skolernes Skakdag - hjernens motionsdag®

  Annual chess day on the Friday of week 6.

• Skoleskak For Alle®

  Specialized learning effort for students with social and cognitive challenges.

1. 1Forside - Dansk Skoleskakskoleskak.dk
2. 2Dansk Skoleskak - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Dansk Skoleskak - Wikipediada.wikipedia.org