When Every Move Tells a Story: Social Chess Blitz Talks in Samarkand
New experimental format will showcase chess as a tool for education, inclusion, and personal transformation.
The FIDE Social Commission is planning to organize an event called Social Chess Blitz Talks - a format built around short, powerful, chess-inspired stories. The Commission is reaching out to inspiring individuals to share their unique perspectives and experiences in a concise, impactful way.
Here's the idea: each speaker delivers a short, sharp, and insightful speech lasting 5–7 minutes, centered around a single compelling idea or approach. No long slides, no elaborate presentations — just the speaker, their story, and a thought-provoking message that leaves the audience with something meaningful to reflect on.
This event will demonstrate what chess truly achieves — as an educational tool, a bridge between cultures, a vehicle for inclusion, and a path to personal development. Each talk will be short, focused, and personal — not academic lectures, but real stories, insights, and ideas that show what chess can do for society.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Dana Reizniece, Acting Chair of the FIDE Management Board, Supervisor and Ambassador of numerous FIDE Social projects Chess for Freedom, Chess for Protection, Infinite Chess will share reflections from years of supporting FIDE's social initiatives and the communities they serve.
- André Vögtlin, FIDE Social Commission Chair will showcase the wider impact of social chess - how chess mental models can drive social transformation. A seasoned advocate of chess for social good.
- Dr Das Mukesh, FIDE Social Commission Ambassador, former Executive Director (HR) of India’s biggest Public Sector Organisation, Indian Oil Corporation will share the personal story behind starting the life-changing Chess for Freedom initiative in India, and a mindset shift from taking to giving.
- Prabitha Urwyler, FIDE SOC Councillor, Treasurer of the European Chess Union and the Board member of the Swiss Chess Federation will answer the question "What happens when the chessboard becomes a language?" with vivid stories of Chess for Hope participants and what the initiative means in their lives.
- Magnus Wolfe Murray, the founder and Executive Director of Movement in Refuge with more than 30 years’ experience working in humanitarian crises, including a decade with the UK Government’s Department for International Development focuses on how sport, chess and movement can help refugees break through barriers to education, wellbeing and opportunity - an area he believes remains dramatically under-supported despite its potential impact.
- Dijana Dengler, Head of Chess at Overseas Family School in Singapore, FIDE Chess in Education Commission Councillor, co-founder of the Munich Chess Academy and Munich Chess Foundation and former national team player who represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at 12 Chess Olympiads. Dijana will share how a chess tournament suitcase led to a life never returning home, and how chess shaped her even after she gave it up.
- Sophia Rohde, Director of the Columbia Grammar Chess Program and New York State President, vice chair of Chess in Education USChess, IA, IO will highlight the Mindful Gambit: Language, Logic, and Life Skills on the Board — using chess as a social and emotional tool in the classroom, with stories and results from her students.
- Nadia Kravchuk, Director of International Relations, ISCF will prove the power of moving forward explaining why social initiatives must help people move forward despite circumstances, rather than waiting for the "right time."
The Social Chess Blitz Talks represent a new chapter in the FIDE Social Commission's efforts to highlight the tangible social impact of chess across communities worldwide. The format places the speaker's personal journey and singular idea at the center — creating an intimate, powerful experience for both speakers and audience.
The event will culminate with the FIDE Social Chess Award ceremony – celebration of social chess milestones worldwide.
25 September 2026
11:00 – 13:00
Silk Road by Minyoun, Samarkand
We look forward to welcoming you to this special Congress event.
