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Activity Guides

Mind Sports: The Main Options

A reference of the main chess and related strategy-game options for a child aged 9 to 12 in Singapore: school, national competitions, or private lessons.

Prepared by The Editorial Team

Updated 30 September 2026

Details checked September 2026. Programmes change, so confirm with the school or provider.

In the table, CCA means co-curricular activity: a group run by a school. Some means at least one school’s own page confirms it; a note in brackets says where the page doesn’t say which age group or adds detail. A dash means “not covered here”, not that the option doesn’t exist.

Activity MOE school CCA Int’l school National programme or competition Private lessons
Chess (international) Yes Some (age not stated) Yes Yes
Chinese chess (xiangqi) Some — — —
Weiqi (Go) Some (in a chess club) — Yes (Shoutan Cup) —
Bridge — — — —

School-based (CCA): MOE schools

Chess Club, sometimes called International Chess, is a common Clubs and Societies CCA across Singapore primary schools. Members learn tactics and strategy with a coach, and some schools run a separate training team for more experienced players. Members can represent their school at national school chess championships. Some schools also offer Chinese chess (xiangqi) as its own CCA, and at least one school’s chess club covers weiqi (Go) as well. Availability varies by school.

School-based: international schools

International schools set their own programmes. At least two large international schools list chess among their activities, but don’t say which age groups take part. International schools can also enter the national inter-school team chess championships. Check directly with your child’s school what is running this term.

National programmes and competitions (outside any single school)

Singapore Chess Federation. Founded in 1949, the federation is the principal authority over chess events in Singapore and is affiliated with the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Its National Inter-School Team Championships has primary categories for under-8s, under-10s and an open primary section, each with a separate girls’ category; the 2026 edition took registrations until 31 August. MOE says more than 1,700 students played in the National Schools Individual Chess Championships in March 2025. The federation also runs its own chess classes, mainly for ages 6 to 14. In late 2025 it trialled a beginner chess programme for Primary 1 and 2 pupils at one primary school.

Singapore Weiqi Association. Its Shoutan Cup, a national weiqi competition, has categories for Primary 3, Primary 4, and Primary 5 and 6, alongside an open category; the 2026 edition was held on 23 May. The association also runs weiqi classes for primary and secondary students, including during the school holidays.

Mind sports in Singapore law

Parliament passed the Singapore Sports Council (Amendment) Bill on 14 January 2026. The Bill defines “sports” in Singapore law to include mind sports and e-sports. It defines a mind sport as “a competitive game based on intellectual skill rather than physical skill, such as chess or bridge.” Introducing the Bill, the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth said Sport Singapore “will calibrate its support” for these activities “based on their specific needs, governance standards and contributions to national sporting objectives.” In his closing speech, he said the wider definition “does not mean that we will support all sports equally, given the need for us to use public funds wisely.”

Private lessons

Available from chess academies and independent coaches: group classes, one-to-one coaching, holiday camps and regular tournaments, from beginner level through competitive play.

Not covered here

This page doesn’t cover bridge: no option for primary-age children was confirmed. It also doesn’t cover the national xiangqi competitions for primary schools that one school’s page lists, since no current organiser page was found for them. Private xiangqi or weiqi lessons, xiangqi or weiqi at international schools, and community classes aren’t covered either.

This page doesn’t say whether any activity is offered as a Direct School Admission talent area. Each secondary school sets its own talent areas for each year’s exercise, so check the school’s own DSA page and MOE’s DSA-Sec information.

Sources