Its a sport for young people: French high school launches one of the first chess sport

The Marc Bloch High School in Bischheim, Bas-Rhin, is recruiting its future sports-study chess students on Wednesday, April 29. Starting in 2026, the school will be among the first in France to offer such a academic path. The practice is gaining popularity, especially among younger students.

This is just the beginning. Marc Bloch High School in Bischheim, Bas-Rhin, is gearing up for its 2026 school year like no other. In September, the school will inaugurate a sports-study chess section, one of the first in France.

With just a few months left before the summer holidays, the focus is on the school on this Wednesday, April 29. Teenagers are undergoing selection to join the new chess-dedicated section.

This new initiative builds on the existing chess section at the local middle school in 2023. According to the French Chess Federation (FFE), 1,500 children from preschool to middle school will have been trained in chess during the 2025-2026 school year in Bischheim. The future sports-study high school students will receive at least four hours of practice per week during school hours.

Competition is tough for the aspiring teenagers looking to join this program. Only ten of them will be able to follow the new path.

Among the participants for the 2026 school year selection, a teenage girl has made the journey. “I am already part of the chess section at the middle school,” explains the young girl. She wants to continue her practice to compete in school championships. Further on, a young boy in a white t-shirt admits, “I recently started playing chess. I think it’s a good opportunity for me to progress further.”

According to Eloi Relange, president of the FFE, the opening of sports-study sections in high schools is good news. “It contributes to increasing the level, but it’s also a factor for the promotion and recognition of chess,” he says. He continues, “when schools offer a sports section dedicated to chess, the whole school shines through this practice. All children are made aware of chess, so more young people will likely join clubs, it’s a bit of an indirect effect. With sports-study programs, it’s even better because we are really focusing on the regional high level. So we are truly training champions.”

The creation of a sports section dedicated to chess may come as a surprise, but chess has been recognized by the Ministry of Sports since 2001. “Today is an implementation, a practice that shows that beyond institutional recognition, there is a desire and mobilization from clubs, principals, and teachers to create chess activities within schools,” assures Eloi Relange.

In April 2026, the FFE announced 40,434 first-time chess players for a total of 86,843 members, an increase of over 13% compared to 2024. In ten years, the number of players has almost doubled (+48.74%). According to the federation, the enthusiasm for the sport has been boosted in recent years by online platforms, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the series “The Queen’s Gambit.” On social media, especially Twitch and TikTok, content creators around chess are increasing and democratizing the practice, especially among younger audiences.

“Chess is a sport that is growing rapidly in elementary and primary schools, then continues into middle and high schools,” assures the FFE president. “Two-thirds of the federation’s members are under 20 years old. It’s really a sport for young and very young people.” He adds, “for us, the federation, introducing chess into schools is a privileged access to club sports practice, recreational sports practice, and possibly competition.”

According to him, there has been a hypergrowth in chess practice in France in the last ten years. Every month, 2 to 3 million people play chess, mainly online.