Making moves: Halifax teen is a rising star in the world of chess

Calix Marchand learned a new game at daycare when he was four.

"I remember coming back home and telling my dad about it and saying, like, I played this game with a king and a queen and a knight," he said.

Since then, Marchand, 13, has won many chess tournaments across Canada and competed in matches all over the world. 

In December, Halifax's Marchand became the youngest player from the Maritimes to earn the lifelong title of national chess master by the Chess Federation of Canada. He missed being the youngest chess master in Canada by just 23 months.

The game has taught Marchand a lot about life, he said.

"I really like how it's just a cool complex game and there's always … room for improvement," he said. "I also really like the competitiveness [of the game]."

The adults in his life have also noticed how Marchand's success in chess has influenced who he is as a person. 

'Unmatched' skill

In his young career, Marchand has won events like the Canadian Youth Chess Championships and Canadian Chess Challenge.

He also represented his country at the World Cadet Chess Championship in Italy last November.

Chris Felix, president of the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association, described Marchand as "unmatched."

"I've witnessed a few rising stars over the years in Nova Scotia and Calix is progressing faster than all of the others in the past," Felix said.

Despite being ranked in the top 100 in the world for his age group, Marchand's attitude is what impresses Felix the most

It's not only Marchand's success that has rubbed off on other young players in Nova Scotia, but how he approaches the game," said Felix. That's made him a role model.

Celeste Lefebvre, Marchand's mother, believes it has helped her son's confidence. "It's probably the biggest thing," she said.

Chess has many different levels that allow a player to continue to evolve, Lefebvre said. She said she and her husband never played the game.

But they're more than happy to support their son's passion as they've noticed the lessons he's learning as a player and a person.

For one thing, Marchand has learned how to lose, his mother said. 

"I think it's actually been really good from an emotional management perspective for him as well — learning how to lose and how to realize that failure allows you to learn from it and move on."

Marchand hasn't been losing much lately, however. He won the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association annual grand prix last month for the second year straight.

He's competing in the Nova Scotia provincial championships in Halifax this weekend in hopes of winning a spot at the nationals in Ottawa next month.

Even though he's always thinking four moves ahead, Marchand doesn't get too far ahead of himself and always respects his opponent.

"In a game of chess, anything can happen. So you just can't underestimate anyone."