Mindsets Conference Brings Educators Together to Reimagine Chess's Role in Learning
On December 5-7, 2025, over 150 educators from three continents gathered in New York City for Mindsets: The New York Chess in Education Conference, co-presented by the National Scholastic Chess Foundation and the Kasparov Chess Foundation. Our goal was simple but ambitious: to create space where chess educators, researchers, and practitioners could explore how chess can be used more intentionally in education—shifting focus from “natural talent” toward growth, mastery, and purposeful play.
The weekend exceeded our hopes. Across three days of presentations, panels, and informal gatherings, we witnessed a community coming together to tackle fundamental questions: Why should limited instructional time be devoted to chess? How can games cultivate curiosity and resilience? What does mastery really look like in chess education?
Highlights That Inspired
World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov delivered a powerful address connecting elite competition to everyday classroom teaching, reflecting on how chess education must evolve in an AI-driven world. His message resonated: we must help students learn to trust their own thinking, not just consult engines for answers.
Grandmaster Peter Wells and Dr. Barry Hymer, authors of Chess Improvement: It’s All in the Mindset, explored whether competition can align with growth mindset principles. Their answer—”serious play” grounded in intrinsic motivation, challenge, and productive failure—gave educators a framework for integrating educational and competitive approaches.
Research presentations grounded our discussions in data. Dr. Brian Kisida and colleagues shared findings from over 106,000 young players, revealing that gender performance gaps narrow as female participation increases—offering empirical support for equity-focused program design.
But perhaps most meaningful were the conversations between sessions, at Friday’s reception at Hunter College Campus Schools, at Saturday evening’s jazz and chess gathering in Spanish Harlem, and during Sunday’s intimate discussion at the Marshall Chess Club. These moments reminded us that chess education thrives on community.
Looking Forward
Our wish is that chess in education continues to grow—not just in numbers, but in intentionality. We want programs grounded in sound pedagogy, guided by research, and focused on what matters most: helping students develop resilience, strategic thinking, and a genuine love of learning.
The ideas shared at Mindsets are already making their way back into classrooms across the country. We’re grateful to everyone who attended, presented, and contributed to making this conference possible. The next chapter of chess in education is being written now—and we’re excited to see where it leads.
See photos and read the full conference report by visiting nscfchess.org/mindsets-2025.
Please also check out the article on ChessBase.
