Hospitality group Tsogo Sun will invest over R10-million in national school chess programme Moves for Life over the next three years as part of its SunCares corporate social investment (CSI) initiative.

The Moves for Life programme, of which President Jacob Zuma is patron, has already been implemented at over 70 schools nationwide, and aims to teach maths, science and life skills through the structured implementation of chess.

Following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Tsogo Sun and the organisation, the hospitality group was awarded naming rights to the programme, as well as a seat on its board.

The Tsogo Sun Moves for Life programme is divided into three key elements – MiniChess, for Grade R to Grade 3; MasterMoves, for children nine years and older; and teacher training.

The first phase of the programme entails teacher training and the introduction of MiniChess in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, while plans are in place to extend the programme to schools in the Free State in 2014.

In addition, Tsogo Sun has entered into a collaboration with the University of Johannesburg to conduct impact studies on the learners, the teachers, the schools and the communities as a result of the introduction of chess, with baseline studies currently under way and long-term impact studies to be carried out at regular intervals over the next three years.

Tsogo Sun Group CSI manager Shanda Paine said in a statement that the company’s decision to invest in the programme was driven by the proven educational benefits of introducing chess into the local schooling system.

“Our decision to support a chess programme was driven by the company’s strategy to develop sport and promote education, particularly considering the fact that chess has been identified by government as one of its top 16 priority sporting codes for inclusion at school level.

“All our initiatives are designed to comply with government’s strategy and objectives within the school system to ensure that we contribute to the overall development of the children we reach,” she commented.

Paine added that prior research had proven the game’s ability to improve concentration and memory, as well as to develop logical thinking, analytical skills, visualisation skills, decision-making skills, abstract thinking and planning skills.

“It is also fairly cost-effective to introduce into schools, which means we can go much further afield with our chess programme and reach a greater number of young people,” she said.

MiniChess founder and manager and Moves for Life trustee Marisa van der Merwe said the support of Tsogo Sun would assist in “equalising the [educational] playing field”.

“The partnership with Tsogo Sun is highly beneficial, as it will provide a massive boost to the sustainability of the initiative, as well as lend credibility to one of the most successful educational interventions in South Africa,” added Tsogo Sun Moves for Life trustee Mickey Scheepers.

Tsogo Sun said it would also work in partnership with other corporates, including mining major BHP Billiton and energy group Sasol to extend the reach of the Moves for Life programme.