Jerry Nash believes in the power of chess to enable student success – both in and beyond the classroom. His focus is to provide teachers with the tool (in chess) they did not know was available. His 30+ years of experience both as an educator and as a leader of professional development for teachers have provided ample evidence that when teachers introduce chess as an educational tool, they see a marked increase in student engagement and skill development.

As a result, Nash has emerged as a leader in the growing international Chess in Education movement, and his work has been recognized by national and international organizations.

• In 2015, Nash was awarded Chess Educator of the Year by the University of Texas at Dallas.
• In 2019, Nash was appointed to the FIDE-EDU (International Chess Federation Chess in Education Commission) High Quality Standards Workgroup.
• In 2021, Nash led the FIDE EDU Strategy Group and FIDE-EDU Certification and Endorsement Group, both tasked with outlining FIDE’s goals and strategies for Chess in Education over the next four years.
• Also in 2021, Nash was awarded the title of Goodwill Ambassador for Chess in Education by the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation in Hungary.
• Also in 2021, Nash led the FIDE EDU Strategy Group and FIDE-EDU Certification and Endorsement Group, both tasked with outlining FIDE’s goals and strategies for Chess in Education over the next four years.
• In December of 2021, Nash was appointed Senior Adviser for Chess in Education for FIDE EDU.
• In November of 2022, Nash was appointed Chairman of the Chess in Education Commission for the International Chess Federation (FIDE EDU), responsible for the global development of CIE.

As Chairman of FIDE’s Chess in Education Commission (FIDE EDU), Mr. Nash leads a group of passionate chess in education professionals from around the world. Their mission is to advance chess as an educational tool. By helping federations and organizations to train teachers and coaches and address key stakeholders, the Commission hopes to build sustainable and scalable chess in education initiatives.

A featured speaker at educational conferences and leadership meetings around the world, Mr. Nash enjoys telling the stories that support the case for chess as an educational tool. The fact that chess can introduce academic and 21st-century skills to students is a message that resonates with both the education and business communities.

Mr. Nash considers one of his greatest accomplishments to be the consistent positive responses of teachers who have participated in training courses such as this one from a New Hampshire teacher who described his experience as “The best four days of PD [Professional Development] I’ve ever participated in.”

The innovative approach that Nash has developed includes helping teachers to overcome their intimidation of the game and providing them with extensive connections to curriculum standards, mini-games, and lesson planning. His training allows teachers to use chess to reconnect with students and to help students develop the skills needed for success in and beyond the classroom. Teachers consistently report changed relationships with students and significant improvement in student behavior and decision-making.

She is a primary school teacher and holds a degree in History and Music Sciences.
Arbiter and chess instructor. Second Vice-President of the Catalan Chess Federation, an institution in which she has been responsible for different departments since 2003, when she became a member of its Board of Directors.
In 2010 she won the "Extraordinary Prize 110 Years of Sport and Citizenship", awarded by the Lluís Carulla Foundation together with the Futbol Club Barcelona Foundation in the XXII edition of the Baldiri Reixac Awards for the work "Give me your hand. Chess as an educational tool".
He currently works in the Department of Education of the Government of Catalonia.

"Escacs a l'escola", educational chess project in Catalonia.
In 2012, the programme "Escacs a l'escola" (Chess at school) was launched in Catalonia, which aims to introduce chess into the school timetable as an educational tool in primary and secondary schools. In order to carry it out, it is essential to train teachers at the schools, and more than 3,000 training certificates have already been issued to teachers interested in using chess as part of the educational curriculum.
The programme is promoted by the Department of Education of the Government of Catalonia and the Catalan Chess Federation, with the collaboration of three universities: the University of Girona, the University of Lleida and the Rovira i Virgili University. In 2021, FIDE included it as a benchmark programme of good practice in educational chess in its "FIDE-ECU Chess in Schools Survey Report".

As Secretary of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission my mission is to promote educational chess worldwide. While the benefits of using chess for academic and social skill development are widely recognized, there’s still a need for guidance. We must address questions like how to train teachers, what to teach, and how to assess progress effectively. Collaborating with leading experts, I aim to make chess a valuable tool in both primary and secondary education.

Let me introduce you to some fantastic online tools designed specifically for educational chess. These tools don’t aim to replace teachers; instead, they enhance chess lessons, promote versatility, and allow children to play chess and minigames together. Some of these tools even excel at facilitating collaborative problem-solving.

My background as a mathematics teacher and my passion for chess inspire me to explore innovative ways to teach math using the chessboard and its pieces. Integrating mathematics into the enchanting realm of chess turns it from an anxiety-inducing subject into a delightful and imaginative pursuit. I hope to give you some ideas how in my masterclass on chess and mathematics.

You may include these career highlights if you wish:                

• Co-creator of LogiqBoard, an interactive online teaching tool for educational chess and strategy games
• Contributor to two Erasmus projects:
• “Chess and mathematics in primary schools” 2017-2019;
• “8 by 8: Strategy games in education” 2019 - 2022
• Speaker and in charge of “Chess and Mathematics” workshops at the annual Global Chess Festival by Judit Polgar since 2019;
• Organiser and Presenter at the annual London Chess Conference 2014-2018
• 1993-2011 High school Teacher of Mathematics and Physics in the UK and in Ireland
• 1993 Hungarian Women Chess Champion
• (2000-2001) MSc Degree in Computing Science, Imperial College, London.
• (1988-1993) Degree in teaching Mathematics, Physics and Diploma of Education, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary

SEMINARS, WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES
2019   November 7 UK, London London Chess Conference 2019 - "Chess and Women's Empowerment"
September 2019 New Delhi, India  “ Chess in schools. Research results and development trends (Case of Armenia) »
September 2018 Novokuznetsk, Russian Federation: International conference “Chess in Education”, plenary report “ Current problems and experience of chess education in Armenia ” 
May 2018 " Psychology in Armenia: history and current state. ASPU and Faculty of Educational Psychology and Sociology " , ADVERSITATE SI REZILIENTA IN CONTEXTUL DINAMICILOR INDIVIDUALE ORGANIZATIONALE SI SOCIETALE ConferintaNational participation :Internationala , Bucharest, Romania, Spiru Haret University, May 2018
April 2017                 took part in a training course on the implementation of the Sectoral Qualifications Framework, Ghent University, Belgium , TEMPUS ARMENQA
July 2016                  took part in a seminar organized at the University of Bath Spa in the UK / as part of the TEMPUS program MAHATMA
In April 2016,                      took part in a seminar organized at Mazarik University in Brno, Czech Republic/as part of the TEMPUS program MAHATMA .
November 2015        took part in a training course on the implementation of a sectoral qualifications framework at the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences / within the framework of the TEMPUS project ARMENQA, Germany, Osnabrück/
July 2015                   took part in a training course on the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework at Linköping University / within the framework of the TEMPUS project ARMENQA , Sweden, Linkoping/
2015 In February,    participated in the training “Teaching and Learning Methods” at the University of Koblenz-Landau / as part of the TEMPUS program MAHATMA , Germany, Koblenz /
2013 April-May                    took part in a training course for trainers “Development of a higher education management program” / within the framework of the TEMPUS program MAHATMA , CIEP Center for International Educational Research, Paris, France /
October 2012            participated in an external quality assessment by higher education experts for a trainer training course / Trainer: international quality assurance consultant Gillian King , ARQATA, NAOAC/, /certificate of participation/.
June 2012                  Participated in the master class “Ericsonian hipnosis” by Betty Erickson. / /certificate of participation / .
year 2012.      Participated in the training course for trainers “Theory and Practice of Inclusive Education” / Teachers: experts from the University of Oulu, Finland T. Vilpola, M. Kjellinen / Bridge of Hope, Mission East with the support of NGOs /certificate of participation/.

MEMBERSHIP, VOLUNTEER WORK
From 2010 to present, international member of the American Psychological Association (APA).
(Co)Author of 6 scientific and methodological manuals and 50 research articles

Leontxo has been working as a chess lecturer, journalist, writer, presenter and commentator since 1983. Expert on chess as an educational tool, he has trained more than 30, 000 teachers in 31 countries. His book Ajedrez y Ciencia, pasiones mezcladas (2013) is on its seventh edition.

He produces a daily chess column, videos, a newsletter, a podcast and many stories for El Pais that has over 60 million readers. He worked for different radio shows and presented more than 100 TV programmes since 1986. He produced, with Garry Kasparov, the series La Pasión del Ajedrez (The Passion for Chess; 1998-1999). Leontxo ran Jaque magazine (1991-2001).

Leontxo has much experience on live commentary from the top tournament venues. He has been awarded with the Medal of Merit by the Spanish Government, by the Judit Polgar Foundation as “Ambassador of Chess”, and the European Chess Union as “the best chess journalist”, and included in the FIDE’s Golden Book “in appreciation of his excellent contributions to develop of chess in the world”. He was a curator of the Spanish Pavilion at the Expo Dubai in 2021.

ÖZGÜR SOLAKOĞLU was born in Ankara in 1968. After completing his primary and secondary education at TED Ankara College, he graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics in English in 1994. Solakoğlu, started his professional career as an MT at Garanti Bank in 1995 and worked there till 2006.

He worked in Commercial and Individual Banking in different units such as Branch, Regional and General Directorate, took part in projects and served as Branch Manager. As an Internal Trainer at the bank, he took part in the writing of the Pricing-Efficiency book, in its trainings and as a Credit Culture project trainer. He continued his business life as the National Teams Manager of the Turkish Chess Federation between 2006-2010.

During this period, he took responsibility for all National Teams, National Team and Infrastructure Coaches. He also served as a Team Manager and International Tournament Organizer in international tournaments. He has served as Chief Arbiter in FIDE World, ECU European, Turkish Championships and International tournaments. He has undertaken the responsibility of Sponsorships and Press Relations in important tournaments.
Between May and November 2010, he had simultaneously worked as Finance and Administrative Affairs Manager at Telegami Call Center Sales Services. Solakoğlu served as General Manager (CEO) at (JA) Junior Achievement Turkey - Genç Başarı Education Foundation between November 2010-2011. During this period, he managed all stages of the implementation of international education programs including Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy and Employment elements in

Primary and High Schools. In addition, he organized and contributed to the organization of Innovation and Creativity (Innovation) Camps for high school students within JA.

As a member of JCI International – Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs (JCI) Association, he has served as Director, Branch Vice President, Branch President, Senate President, Mentor and continues to contribute as a Senator. He has also received special trainer training and had become a JCI Certified Trainer.