Moses Kwereba Gathua, a chess development instructor, has successfully completed a chess in primary education course at the University of Aegean in Greece, in partnership with the European Chess Union.
Gathua’s selection for the course was facilitated by the African Chess Confederation, which received a scholarship from the European Chess Union.
In an interview with the African Chess Confederation media team, Gathua discussed his plans to disseminate the skills and expertise acquired during the course to his peers in Africa.
Thank you for taking the time to converse with us. Could you please provide a summary of your professional journey?
My name is Moses Kwereba Gathua, a Kenyan professional chess coach registered with FIDE as a Development Instructor and certified by the European Chess Union as a chess teacher. My chess journey began at St Joseph’s High School, Githunguri, Kenya, where I was part of an active chess club. I continued my passion for chess at the veterinary school and later joined Kabete Cares Chess Club, where I led the team to victory in the 2010-2011 Kenya National Chess League.
I joined Chess Kenya Federation as a board member from 2013-2017. And since 2018, I have been a board member of the Kiambu County Chess Association.
My notable achievements in international chess include serving as Head of Delegation for the Kenya National Youth Chess Team at the 2014 World Youth Chess Championship in Durban, South Africa, and also leading the team at the 2015 African Youth Chess Championship in Lusaka, Zambia.
What prompted your selection of chess as a primary educational pursuit?
Integrating chess into education allows for the use of creative approaches to develop chess skills in schools. Tailoring lessons to meet the unique requirements of students ensures that every child can participate. The ACC should allocate resources to chess equipment as a priority. Moreover, Africa requires additional human resource investment to effectively promote chess in primary education, including the training of more coaches.
Now that you have secured the qualification, what should we anticipate from you?
I wish to leverage the knowledge gained from this course to tap into Africa’s expanding internet connectivity. To achieve this, I plan to produce educational videos on chess for primary schools, which can be shared on ACC’s online platforms. Moreover, I am available to take on any role that ACC deems necessary for promoting chess education in African primary schools
