10/09/2026
40 Faces for 40 Years:
Bruce Pandolfini had a vision: a day when everyone in the country would know how to play chess. Pandolfini saw that chess could do more than teach people how to play. It could teach young people how to think critically, believe in their abilities, face challenges with confidence, and discover what they are capable of achieving.
Alongside fellow co founder Faneuil Adams, Pandolfini set out to convince New York City educators that chess belonged in the classroom. The idea was not immediately embraced. There was skepticism about whether a game traditionally played outside the classroom could have a meaningful place in public education.
Pandolfini remained determined. He made his case one lesson at a time, demonstrating how the skills developed over a chessboard, including logic, patience, strategy, and problem solving, could extend far beyond the game itself.
Drawing on a chess syllabus Pandolfini had developed for the New School and later adapted for Hunter College Elementary School, he continued refining his approach to teaching chess in the classroom. With the tireless help of Bruce Alberston, Pandolfini began offering experimental classes to licensed Board of Education teachers.
Working alongside Faneuil Adams, Pandolfini helped turn that early effort into a lasting initiative to bring chess into New York City public schools. Their work laid the foundation for what would become Chess in the Schools, an organization that has spent four decades opening doors for young people through chess education.
Forty years later, that vision continues to move us forward. Every student who discovers a new possibility, learns to think several moves ahead, or gains the confidence to face a challenge carries that legacy into the future.
As we celebrate 40 years of Chess in the Schools, we honor Pandolfini, a visionary educator who helped bring chess into the classroom and open doors for generations of young people.
One vision sparked a movement. Forty years later, we are still making our move. ♟️
