The Chess Four (Schackfyran) is one of the world’s largest chess competitions organized for the fourth-grade kids and has, since its inception in 1978, taught half a million 10-year-olds to play chess. 25000 kids every year take part in the event through the qualifying competitions and the national finals.
The event has grown so big that there will be two Swedish national finals, partly in Helsingborg on 14 May and partly in Uppsala on 22 May with 2300 fourth-graders who qualified for the final national tournament.
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“Schackfyran (Chess Four) is a real highlight every year, and the positive thing is that every student is equally important because everyone takes points. The more people who participate from the class, the greater the chance of placing high“, says Tomas Kvist, Secretary General of the Swedish Chess Federation.
“But above all, the chess training at the schools contributes to the students learning to think strategically, training their ability to concentrate and their logical thinking. Chess is also a good entry point to be able to improve in mathematics. In addition, students learn sportsmanship and take each other by hand both before and after the game. Schackfyran is a competition that is not only loved by fourth-graders but also by teachers and parents. They all feel like winners.” explained Tomas Kvist for the event’s official invitation published on the Swedish Chess Federation website. Photo: Lars OA Hedlund
Read more: FIDE World Cadets U8, U10 & U12 Chess Championships 2022 / European Youth Chess Championship 2022 / German Youth Individual Chess Championships 2022
