Young players spark growing interest in chess in Nova Scotia

The number of people competing in an annual chess tournament has nearly tripled as more youth are taking up the game, says the president of Chess Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia Chess Open wrapped up Sunday evening at Saint Mary's University in Halifax. Players came from across the country.

Organizers say more than 30 of this year's competitors are new to the game.

"I'm pleasantly surprised but I'm not shocked because the technology is just so there for people who are on their phones all the time," said Ken Cashin. "It just makes sense."

Cashin said it isn't just young people. He said people of all ages have discovered a love for the game while being home over the last couple of years because of COVID-19 restrictions.

He said developing a passion for chess in solitude has made a lot of people eager to play in person.

'People are now looking for places to play over the board which is … the best way to do it."

Popular among youth

Chess has a reputation as being "stodgy," Cashin said. But he said all the young competitors at the Nova Scotia Open had a lot of fun.

Louis Fillmore, 12, said he's been competing in tournaments for three years now. He said he's seen the number of people showing up to the competitions rise drastically.

"There was the show The Queen's Gambit, which got a lot of people playing chess," he said. "I guess more people started playing it and more people started to realize that chess is pretty fun."

Fillmore said when he's at home he plays online because he always beats everyone else in his family. He said he plays with a board when he competes in tournaments.

He said he also enjoys watching his favourite player, Eric Rosen, play other people online.

What Fillmore enjoys most about chess, he said, is how much it makes him use his brain.

No matter what age, Cashin said people continue to fall in love with the game because of the competition and strategy.

"It's a way for you to express yourself creatively and through thinking," he said. "It's really cool. Basically, you're thinking creatively in a competitive environment."