Chess popularity soars in New Brunswick since COVID-19 pandemic

Around 300 young chess players from across New Brunswick gathered in Moncton Saturday. Students from kindergarten to Grade 12 took part in the Scholastic Provincial Chess Tournament at the Moncton Coliseum.

It was the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that the event was held in person.

Ben Jokela, the arbiter, or head referee, thinks the provincial tournament was the largest event they’ve ever held.

“It’s a big deal,” said Jokela. “The winner of the provincials at each grade goes to the nationals, so it’s high stakes.”

Organizers say there’s been a lot of growth in chess over the past few years, partly due to the popularity of the Netflix miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit.”

“It’s an extremely good activity to do online and I think the pandemic helped increase its popularity,” said Jokela. “It’s also just a great academic activity for children and we’ve seen all over the province chess clubs popping up in schools, small communities, large cities, everywhere and all over New Brunswick.”

Grade 7 student Timur Stoicev says what he likes about chess is that you can practice your intellectual skills.

“In chess, it is a tactical game. So, you can see your mistakes and you study on how to think what will happen in the future. And it can help in life very much,” said the École Carrefour de l'Acadie student.

Winners from each grade will represent team New Brunswick at the 2023 Canadian Chess Challenge that will be held next month in Montreal.

If parents want to get their child playing chess, Jokela recommends reaching out to the administration of their schools about starting or joining a chess club.

“It’s a great thing to do for all ages, especially for children,” said Jokela.

According to the organizers, more than 605 million people around the world play chess on a regular basis.