News | 21 October 2026

IES Borås's Chess Club is Making Headlines

The interest for our school’s chess club is growing. The achievements and dedication are now featured in the latest issue of Tidskrift för Schack.

Mariah Shabazz and Jana Sajadi, who run the school's chess club, were interviewed by the magazine.

Last year was a successful chess year for our students, who won both Internationella Engelska Skolan’s own internal competition Chess Battle, and the Västra Götaland regional tournament Marsdraget. Since chess was properly introduced at the school about four years ago, the interest and success have continued to grow.

In the latest issue of Tidskrift för schack and on schack.se, Mariah Shabazz and Jana Sajadi, who run the chess club at Internationella Engelska Skolan Borås, are interviewed about the school's initiative and the students' impressive achievements. The club has become a natural gathering place where students play across age groups – both during breaks and during afternoon practice sessions.

– Chess has given so much to the school and especially to the students, says student assistant and youth leader Jana Sajadi.

In addition to the victories in Chess Battle and Marsdraget, the school also excelled at a national level last academic year. Eleven middle school students participated in Schack i skolan-mästarna, where Kevin Björk placed fourth and Jonathan Botzet seventh in the Swedish Championship final in Jönköping. Now the senior club, Knight Riders, is fully preparing for the online competition Yes2Chess starting in January, while the younger students prepare for Schackfyran this spring.

– Those who are academically inclined are often interested in chess, but chess also attracts many other students, giving them a chance to shine by the board. It is truly wonderful to see, says school librarian Mariah Shabazz.

Every year the school also presents an award to the Chess Master of the Year, where sportsmanship and team spirit weigh just as heavily as performance on the board.

– A true chess master is also a good friend when the game is over, says Jana Sajadi.