Group looking to build community of chess players in Saskatoon

The Saskatoon Chess Club has moved its meeting place, hoping to attract more players to the game and its newly-formed competitive league.

"What we're trying to do is build a community of chess players in Saskatoon," John Ng, club president, said of the group's goals.

After forming last fall and meeting at a coffee shop on the east side, Ng said the decision was made to move to a more central area of the city, in hopes of being more accessible to more people.

Now, there's about 10 to 20 players who come out every week to play games at Place Riel at the University of Saskatchewan.

Ng said the group has also started partnerships, including one with the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, as a way to reach more players.

With Saskatoon's population not only growing in numbers but in diversity, Ng said there's likely to be more people who might want to play.

"Chess, in my perspective, it's a sport that crosses all age groups, all boundaries, and also any cultures. It's played all around the world."

The club recently launched the SCC Chess League, which will allow members to play more competitive matches. The games are longer and based on a ladder system which allows lower-ranked members to challenge higher-ranked players.

Ng said the group plans to continue its community outreach. He hopes to see the club host a Chess Federation of Canada-rated tournament next year, and possibly even host a chess camp for kids.