Zimbabwe awarded a Prestigious FIDE Kick Starter at the Olympiad in Samarkand

Harare, Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe Chess has received international recognition after being honoured with the prestigious Kick Starter Award at the 2026 FIDE Year of Chess in Education Awards.

The award was presented to Zimbabwe Chess Federation (ZCF) President Mr. Todd Mapingire at the FIDE Chess in Education Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, by FIDE Deputy President Viswanathan Anand and FIDE Management Board Chairperson Mrs. Dana Reizniece-Ozola.

Only eight Kick Starter Awards were presented globally, and Zimbabwe was the only African country to receive the award – a significant milestone for the country.

The award recognises Zimbabwe’s progress in promoting Chess in Education (CIE) through collaboration between the ZCF and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.

Key drivers behind the recognition include:

National Curriculum Integration: Chess incorporated into the national curriculum framework to develop critical thinking, concentration and problem-solving.
Teacher Training: Capacity building across all 10 provinces in partnership with the FIDE Chess in Education Commission.
Grassroots Outreach: Programmes like Chess Kumusha taking chess to rural and underserved communities, with schools like Sengwa Primary progressing to continental level.
Government-Federation Partnership: Working towards an MoU where ZCF provides technical expertise while the Ministry provides institutional structures to expand chess to 15,000+ schools nationwide.

The award follows growing international engagement, including visits to Zimbabwe by FIDE CIE Chairman Mr. Jerry Nash and by Mrs. Dana Reizniece-Ozola who met with Minister Hon. Torerai Moyo and Deputy Minister Hon. Emily Jesaya in March.

Commenting on the award, ZCF President Mr. Mapingire said: “We are extremely excited and humbled. This award gives us confidence that we are on the right path. It is not only recognition of ZCF, but of our partners – the Ministry, teachers, schools, parents, coaches and the wider chess community.”

ZCF Patron Mr. Mucha Mkanganwi hailed the progress, describing it as an important acknowledgement of work being done to take chess to schools and communities.

The FIDE Kick Starter Award marks a major milestone in Zimbabwe’s efforts to make chess an integral part of education and youth development.

Possibility is everything. As the motto of Zimbabwe Chess Federation.