Over a thousand students at chess festival in Bremen

by Nadja Wittmann
6/21/2023 – It has almost become a tradition: at the end of the school year, a thousand primary school students once again played an outdoor chess tournament on Bremen’s market square! The project “Schach macht schlau” (Chess makes you smart) has been running since 2018, with 43 schools now participating and offering one hour of chess per week in regular lessons. Senator for Education Sascha Aulepp opened the tournament together with project initiator Marco Bode. This time, the “Dog” team won and the students of the Augsburger Straße primary school were allowed to take the trophy home! | Photos: Nils Rohde

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Clever Bremen!

The Schach macht schlau! project is an initiative of the Das erste Buch association, financed by BLG Logistics, Bremische Volksbank and BSAG. The largest school chess project in Germany was initiated by Marco Bode. Chess is learned in the classes with Fritz&Fertig (software, workbooks, workshops). So far, students from 350 classrooms in 43 schools have participated, i.e. 7,200 primary school students have learned chess in regular lessons. The tournament on the market square took place for the third time and is the big project finale at the end of the school year.

Schach macht schlau!

Chess makes you smart | Photo: Nils Rohde

Das Bremer Rathaus, mit dem Bremer Markt voller Schachspieler

In front of Bremen’s City Hall: 1,000 smart kids! | Photo: Nils Rohde

Schachkinder in Aktion

Kids in action | Photo: Nils Rohde

Marco Bode und das Moderatorenteam freuen sich, dass es jetzt losgeht

Marco Bode, presenter Mathias Hoppe (BremenVier) and Bremen's Senator for Education Sascha Aulepp are happy to get things started | Photo: Nils Rohde 

It is only through the close cooperation with the Bremen education authority and the great commitment of the Bremen teachers that this project is so successful! Many could not play chess at all and are learning the game together with their students!

Der Bremer Markt eignet sich hervorragend als Spielsaal für ein Sommerschachturnier!

The Bremer Markt is an excellent playing hall for a summer chess tournament and offers a unique setting! | Photo: Nils Rohde

Die Figuren fliegen, so dass einige Bretter sogar Wellen zu schlagen scheinen!

The pieces fly — some boards even seem to make waves | Photo: Nils Rohde

Zwischendurch werden die Kinder interviewt und befragt, wie die Partie gelaufen ist.

Mathias Hoppe interviews the children, who, by the way, all received "Schach macht schlau" (Chess makes you smart) T-shirts from the Bremen tramway, which also served as travel tickets! | Photo: Nils Rohde


Fritz and Chesster - Part 3 Chess for winners

This unforgettable chess adventure is designed to advance young chess player’s skills, move by move. Discover mini-games, brain-twisters and more at every attraction. Pick up chess tips and skills as you ride in bumper cars and the Ferris wheel. Polish up your chess strategy and tactics, opening, middle game and endgame and use what you’ve learned to win. You’ll have lots of fun while you learn more about the serious business of playing – and winning – chess!


A kingdom for a chessboard! | Photo: Nils Rohde

Anna  aus dem Orga-Team hilt brei Fragen

Sarah from the organising team helps: if after 15 minutes the games were not yet finished, the children agreed on a result | Photo: Nils Rohde

A total of four rounds were played.

Interview with Rainer Woisin (ChessBase) | Photo: Nils Rohde

Ben Bartels, Fabian Brinkmann, Sara und Anna

From the ChessBase-Organization-Team: Ben Bartels, Fabian Brinkmann, Anna and Sarah | Photo: Nils Rohde

Von Kortschnoi abgeguckt Eine Sonnebrille als Schutz gegen die UV-Strahlung bei diesem Sommerwetter ist aber ja auch einfach nur schlau. Bremen, eben!en der UV-Strahlung. Bremen ist eben schlau.

Copied from Kortschnoi: Sunglasses to protect against UV radiation in this summer weather are just plain smart. Bremen, that's it! | Photo: Nils Rohde

Ab ins Glas mit der Gewinner-Walnuss!

Off to the jar with the walnut! | Photo: Nils Rohde

Result tally: Whoever won his game got 2 walnuts, which he had to throw into glass jars for his team. In the case of a draw, each player got one walnut. The team with the most walnuts, easily read off from the level of walnuts in the jars, won.

Scoring system

  • Win = 2 walnuts
  • Draw = 1 walnut
  • Loss = No walnuts, unfortunately

Die vier Gewinn-Messkolben

The result is revealed: which jar has the most nuts? | Photo: Nils Rohde

And the winners are...

Team ‘Dog’ | Photo: Nils Rohde

Nikola Schroth, Referentin für die Bremer Grundschulen, Rainer Woisin (ChessBase) und Moderator Mathias Hoppe

Nikola Schroth, advisor for the Bremen primary schools, and Rainer Woisin (ChessBase) announce the result of the draw: which school may take home the trophy on behalf of Team Dog  | Photo: Nils Rohde

The lucky winners from Augsburger Straße primary school win the trophy | Photo: Nils Rohde


Proud with their trophy | Photo: Nils Rohde

Das Gewinnerteam mit den Organisatoren

The winning team with the teachers | Photo: Nils Rohde


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