Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — GM Nigel Short, the FIDE Director for Chess Development, continued his mission to expand chess across Africa with a recent visit to Burkina Faso. Upon arriving in Ouagadougou, he was warmly welcomed by the President of the Chess Federation of Burkina Faso, Nicolas Carbonell.

Short's visit focused on promoting chess among young people and showcasing its educational value. On the first day, he visited three schools where chess classes have recently been introduced. His first stop was Bouli School, located in an informal settlement with many internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to regional conflicts. Despite the challenges, chess has found a place in the hearts of these students.

The next stop was the PMK Military School, where young cadets are trained to become future officers. Short had an informal meeting with the students and took a photo with the chess sets used in their classes, which began in November. The final school visit was to the American School of Ouagadougou.

In the afternoon, GM Nigel Short held a conference at Chez Simon Restaurant, where he shared insights and strategies from his chess career. The conference was well-received by local chess enthusiasts eager to learn from the 1993 World Chess Championship challenger.

During his visit, Short met with government officials, including the Minister of Sports, Youth, and Employment, Anûuyirtole Roland Somda, and the Minister of Secondary and Technical Education, Boubakar Savadogo. The discussions focused on expanding chess in Burkina Faso. The Sports General Director of the Primary Education Ministry, Kassoum Compaoré, confirmed that the Ministry would issue a letter encouraging the introduction of chess in primary schools nationwide.

A highlight of the visit was a simultaneous exhibition at Princess Yenenga Restaurant, where GM Short played against 22 players from Burkina Faso. This event gave local chess enthusiasts the chance to compete against a world-class player.

The Chess Federation of Burkina Faso has made significant progress in growing chess in the country. Since July 2021, the “Gift of Chess” program has donated over 1,000 chess sets to schools and organizations across the nation. According to Nicolas Carbonell, “Without the support of Gift of Chess, we wouldn’t have accomplished half of what we have. Their donations have allowed us to distribute sets to schools, restaurants, and clubs. We need more sets to reach every school in Burkina Faso.”

Currently, around 300 adults and many children are actively playing chess across Burkina Faso. The Chess Federation has been instrumental in placing chess teachers in schools, providing sets, and creating spaces in local restaurants and clubs for adults to play.

Burkina Faso’s players have also competed in international events, including the 2024 Francophony tournaments (both online and in Canada) and the Budapest Chess Olympiad. The country’s chess community participates in online events like the “Tournoi des Nations” and the “World Chess League” on chess.com. “We played Paraguay in the first round of the World Chess League, and our next opponent is Japan,” said Carbonell. “We’re also planning to compete in the African Chess Games in the West Africa zone.” Additionally, the Chess Federation has created the AES team (Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali) on Lichess and will soon host an arena tournament between the three countries.

GM Nigel Short’s visit to Burkina Faso has left a lasting impact, reinforcing chess’s value as an educational tool and helping to further its popularity across Africa.