EVERY LESSON COUNTS

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Abel Talamantez strongly believes in the power of chess to transform lives and uplift communities. A chess coach for over a decade, he has organized in-school programs and directed scholastic tournaments throughout his career. He is currently the Chess Program Director for RISE Scholars, Inc. at Hamilton K-8 School in Novato, California — a recipient of the Gold School Award, and previously served as Chess Room Director at the historic Mechanics' Institute in San Francisco.

An International Arbiter (IA), Lead School Instructor (LSI), and FIDE Trainer (FT), Abel was honored with the FIDE 100 Best Educator Award. He looks forward to helping the EDU Commission advance the School Awards Program and the Preparation of Teachers and Lecturers programs.

Rita Atkins is Secretary of the FIDE Chess in Education Commission and Lead Developer of its training programs, on a mission to bring chess to every school in the world. She leads the development of FIDE's Preparation of Teachers courses, and has trained teachers and education leaders across the globe; from Catalonia to Tamil Nadu, where FIDE's programs are reaching tens of thousands of children.

A Woman International Master and former mathematics and physics teacher, Rita co-created LogiqBoard, the online classroom chessboard. A frequent conference speaker, Rita's signature talk explores teaching mathematics through chess, turning an anxiety-inducing subject into a delightful, imaginative pursuit.

Dana Reizniece is the Acting Chair of the FIDE Management Board and a passionate advocate for expanding educational opportunities through chess. A former Minister of Finance and Minister of Economics of Latvia, she combines extensive leadership experience in public service with a lifelong dedication to chess as a player, organizer, and administrator. At FIDE, Dana oversees a broad range of strategic and operational initiatives, with a particular focus on education, development, and strengthening the global chess community. She believes that chess is far more than a game—it is a powerful educational tool that helps young people develop critical thinking, creativity and confidence.
"Chess in schools isn't about creating world chess champions. It's about giving every child the confidence, curiosity, and courage to become the champion of their own life."

Simon is a chess creator known for blending humor, storytelling, and chess culture through original short-form content.
With a background in acting and film, he brings characters and chess personalities to life in a unique way. In 2026, he expanded into broadcasting as a co-commentator for Norway Chess and looks forward to further developing his career in chess broadcasting while continuing to create original content around the world of chess.

Anzel Laubscher is a South African High Court advocate, current South African Ladies Chess Champion, and Woman International Master, specialising in Human Rights and Sports Law. She combines legal expertise with three decades of international experience in competitive chess, development, and education.

A Senior Lead Instructor with the FIDE Education Commission, she has trained teachers, coaches, and education leaders worldwide, championing chess as a game-based learning tool for academic and life skills. She has represented South Africa at ten Chess Olympiads — seven as player, three as captain — and is a sought-after speaker on safeguarding, education, and chess's transformative impact on communities.

Darmen Sadvakassov is the first Vice President of Kazakhstan Chess Federation. Vice President of Asian Chess Federation (ACF) for the North Asia region. Grandmaster, World U20 Champion (1998), five-time Champion of Kazakhstan (2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007). Winner of matches against Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi. Member of the Kazakhstan national team at four Chess Olympiads (1998–2004). Silver medalist of the World Team Blitz Championship (2025). Winner and prizewinner of international tournaments.

Prof. (Dr.) Achyuta Samanta is a globally celebrated educationist, humanitarian, and former Member of the Indian Parliament, best known as the founder of KIIT, KISS, and KIMS in Bhubaneswar — institutions touching over 8 million lives. Orphaned at four and raised in poverty, he built these from scratch in 1992 with just Rs. 5,000. His work has earned him 75 honorary doctorates, 50+ international awards, and the UNESCO International Literacy Prize, proving that compassion and vision can transform millions of destinies.

International Master and Chairman of the CCA Education Commission. A distinguished strategist with over two decades of experience, he leads the continental initiative to integrate chess into school systems. A former national champion and FIDE Senior Lead Instructor, he is the architect of the new teacher-training framework and of pedagogical innovation in the Americas.

Ramon Chalmeta Ugas is the President of the Catalan Chess Federation, bringing over a decade of leadership to the development and promotion of chess across Catalonia. The “Escacs i Escola” (Chess in Schools) program, established by the Federation in 2012, has introduced chess to hundreds of schools and trained thousands of educators to use chess as an educational tool. Under his presidency and as part of the Federation’s centenary celebrations, Catalonia hosted an International Chess in Education Congress. Demonstrating his hands-on commitment, Ramon has also directly trained schoolteachers in his hometown of Sant Boi de Llobregat.

Arpine Lputyan is a leading figure in chess pedagogy and program management for Armenia's national chess-in-schools initiative. Associated with the Chess Academy of Armenia, she has played a vital role in developing teacher training, curricula, and instructional frameworks. She serves as a global ambassador for the Chess in Schools program, sharing Armenia's pioneering educational model at international conferences and education summits worldwide.

Magnus Wolfe Murray, Founder and Executive Director of Movement in Refuge (MiR), has 35+ years of humanitarian experience across 30+ countries with the UK Government, UN agencies, and NGOs. MiR uses sport, chess, and yoga to empower conflict-affected and refugee communities, fostering mental wellbeing, social cohesion, and hope. Aligned with FIDE's Chess for Protection, MiR is partnering with the Bangladeshi Government and UNHCR to introduce chess education to Rohingya refugees along the Myanmar border.

Mikkel Nørgaard is the Chief Learning Officer with the Danish Scholastic Chess Federation and co-developer of the organizations educational programs and learning initiatives. Mikkel has been responsible for training over 2,500 educators in scholastic chess programs and has led several large-scale learning initiatives and government funded programs with scholastic chess in Denmark since 2010. Mikkel’s educational background is in History (University of Aarhus) and he lives in the city of Vejle in Jutland Denmark.

Ton That Nhu Tung (Vietnam) is an International Master (IM), International Arbiter (IA), FIDE Trainer (FT), and the FIDE Chess in Education National Coordinator for Vietnam. Since 2010, he has been dedicated to chess coaching and education, leading the development of Chess in Education initiatives and teacher training across Vietnam.

Dr. George Chitiyo is Professor of Educational Research and Evaluation at Tennessee Technological University, with expertise in quantitative research methods, statistical analysis, and evaluation methodology. He has led several educational chess research initiatives, including the evaluation of a five-year Chess in Schools program implemented from 2015 across several school districts in Alabama. His research on chess has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. He also led the 2026 Survey on Global Chess in Education, an international initiative examining the organization, implementation, and development of educational chess worldwide.