Eleven teachers were members of the first cohort of educators to be trained under the state’s Granite Gambit program. The certification is sanctioned by the US-based Chess in Schools and the European Chess Union, an international leader in the Chess in Education (CIE) movement. The four-day course CIE Instructor Training – Level 1 Certification is designed by Chess in Schools. The class draws upon work and products developed by CIE Coalition participants ChessPlus, ChessKid and Chess in Schools.

Chess in Education Instructor – Level 1 Badge
Training for a second offering of the class begins October 21. The class will be repeated in January and in the Summer of 2022. Level 1 Certificate holders will also have an opportunity to return for a Level-2 certification course in 2022.
Teachers Award High Marks for Training
Eleven of eleven teachers agreed:
- I gained new insights into chess as an educational tool. [11 strongly agree]
- The course material was presented clearly. [11 strongly agree]
- The course provided practical insights and resources that I can use in my chess program and/or classroom. [11 strongly agree]
- believe students will benefit from what I have learned during the training. [11 strongly agree]
- I would recommend this course to other educators [10 strongly agree; 1 agree]

Teachers Learning How to Connect Chess to the Classroom
Quotes from Participants
“The Granite Gambit training was remarkable. I have taught chess before, and I do wish I had these instructional techniques before. The mini games were eye-opening. These quick, high-interest, scalable exercises made teaching chess fun and functional. Students from all skill levels gain competency, confidence and critical thinking skills from these quick paced games. The application of these games cuts across so many content/competencies. The entire training was so valuable.”
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“This course made me feel more confident as a chess player while simultaneously giving me strategies and vocabulary to teach my students. As the 4 days continued, I found countless applications to my classroom and the standards I teach. I was excited to bring the chess connections back into my classroom and the students were engaged and enthusiastic. I can’t wait to continue to use what I learned with my students.”
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“The teaching sequences modeled in the course can be pretty much used as-is, with some pacing considerations, for even my youngest and most novice students.”