Doha: The Qatar Chess Association (QCA) announced Wednesday the signing of a strategic cooperation and partnership agreement with Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) to introduce chess into schools and academies under the QF umbrella. The partnership agreement aims to collaborate on the QCA's goals of expanding chess horizontally, spreading its culture in schools and academies, increasing the base of practitioners from age groups participating in local tournaments, and number of players registered and classified by the International Chess Federation. The agreement contributes to the spread of chess in QF schools by organizing chess training courses for teachers, obtaining training certificates, establishing clubs in schools, and providing chess tools for students. Speaking to Qatar News Agency , President of the Qatar Chess Association Mohammed Al Mudahka said that the cooperation between QCA and QF aims to achieve many goals, primarily spreading chess culture in schools, especially since it is part of a full-fledged educational program. He expressed his appreciation for the great cooperation with the Student Affairs and Community Engagement Department in Pre-University Education at Qatar Foundation, and expressed his aspiration for further cooperation that helps the QCA achieve its vision, develop chess, and build a large base for it. He pointed out that studies have proven that chess clearly enhances the student's mentality, which improves their academic performance. Therefore, the QCA is keen to use the game as an educational tool for schoolchildren to increase their thinking skills and mathematical abilities and support self-confidence by presenting an educational and scientific project. For her part, Director of Student Affairs and Community Engagement in Pre-University Education at QF, Sarah Al Hajri, considered this cooperation to reflect the foundation's great commitment to providing diverse opportunities to enrich student participation, as chess enhances vital skill s such as strategic thinking, which enhances students' academic and personal development. She looked forward to the positive impact that this cooperation will have on the students, as this agreement represents one of the results of the joint cooperation during the state's 2024 Sport Day events. In turn, Abdullah Shaheen Al Kaabi, Head of the Sports Affairs Section in the Student Affairs and Community Engagement Department in Pre-University Education at QF, expressed his great happiness with this cooperation and partnership with the QCA to enhance and spread the culture of chess among QF students, develop their mental skills, and open up wide horizons in the sport of chess in QF schools. He thanked the QCA for its support to the students who represented the Qatari team in the Gulf Youth Games, which was recently held in the UAE, and their success in winning many medals in individual and team competitions. QCA implemented a project during the past year in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, which contributed to the establishment of chess clubs in several model public schools, where teachers were trained to teach chess to some students to compete at the school level, and teachers noticed the role of chess in enhancing the abilities of the students. Source: Qatar News Agency