Children|Inside Ramacrisna|Pedagogical support
At age 10, a student at NAVE Ramacrisna has collected medals, competes against adults, and found in chess a tool to overcome emotional challenges
Chess for children is much more than a strategy game; it stimulates logical reasoning, concentration, discipline, and emotional balance. In this way, the sport contributes to children’s holistic development. When combined with a welcoming environment and opportunities, the sport can transform lives and open new paths to the future.
That’s exactly what happened to 10-year-old Maria Eduarda Reis. A student at NAVE Ramacrisna (Center for Essential Learning and Experiences), Duda—as she’s affectionately called by everyone—discovered a talent for chess that led her to win medals and even compete against adults. But her achievement goes far beyond the medals—she found in the sport a welcoming space, a sense of calm, and personal growth, transforming the way she deals with anxiety and views her own future.
Read her story below.
Duda’s journey with the Ramacrisna Institute began thanks to the influence of her own mother, Josiane Reis. A former student of the institution, she knew the impact of the activities offered and decided to enroll her daughter in NAVE Ramacrisna. At the time, the idea was to provide new experiences, keep her busy after school, and expand the girl’s opportunities for development.
But Josiane had no idea her daughter would have a special talent for chess. “I only found out she was playing when a tournament came up. She came home and said, ‘Mom, there’s a tournament I can go to.’ I didn’t even know she was training,” she recalls.
The surprise grew even greater when Maria Eduarda came home with a second-place medal right after her very first competition. For Josiane, that moment showed that her daughter had found an activity she truly connected with.
Since then, Maria Eduarda has never stopped competing.
Over the past four years, the girl has racked up achievements in various tournaments and has gone on to face chess players of different ages, even adults.
But beyond the trophies, she has also achieved a great deal off the chessboard. When Duda was five, she went through a difficult time due to her father’s absence, a situation that triggered frequent anxiety attacks. But joining NAVE Ramacrisna—and, consequently, the chess workshop—helped turn things around.
“Chess helped her focus on something else. She participates in many tournaments, trains a lot, and that keeps her mind occupied. Her anxiety attacks have decreased by 80% to 90%,” says her mother. She explains that her dedication to the sport has given her daughter new goals, reducing the time spent on thoughts related to her father’s absence and strengthening her emotional balance.
While many see chess as a complex game, for Maria Eduarda it represents tranquility. According to her mother, when asked how she feels while playing, the girl’s answer is simple: peace.
But this feeling isn’t limited to the game. Even though she has always been dedicated to her studies, Duda has gone on to develop even more important skills, such as concentration, planning, problem-solving, and strategic thinking, for example.
These are skills that are part of everyday chess and that also benefit students in the classroom. The sport has also helped her overcome her shyness, making it easier for her to communicate and express herself in front of others.
Since 2016, the Ramacrisna Institute has run an ongoing chess program for children and teenagers enrolled at NAVE Ramacrisna. In total, more than 160 children and teenagers participate in the classes. In addition, the Institute maintains a competitive team that represents the Institute in municipal, state, and national tournaments.
The classes go far beyond teaching the rules of the game. The methodology aims to develop skills such as:
All activities are led by Bruno Jacomini, a national referee for the Brazilian Chess Confederation and an accredited instructor with the Minas Gerais Chess Federation. Since his arrival at Ramacrisna in 2016, the project has achieved significant athletic results, including state team titles and medals in competitions such as the Betim Student Games, the Minas Gerais School Chess Circuit, and the Minas Gerais School Games (JEMG).
NAVE Ramacrisna is not limited to chess. The initiative, developed by the Ramacrisna Institute since 1992 for children and adolescents in the public school system, offers—completely free of charge—supplementary education outside of school hours, with activities that stimulate various aspects of development.
These include literacy, digital inclusion, robotics and programming, cultural workshops, reading promotion, sports activities, daily meals supervised by a nutritional team, and a comprehensive learning environment. Thus, this integrated program allows each child to discover their talents and develop skills to build a future with more opportunities.
Maria Eduarda’s story shows that the true value of chess lies not only in winning games. Each move represents a decision, a learning experience, and an opportunity to develop emotional balance, discipline, and confidence.
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