The Queen’s Gambit effect: Chess getting more popular with N.S. young people

Seeing her opponent’s knight out of position, Alice Yancey sent her Queen to dominate the centre of the chessboard.

This would be risky, but the 13-year-old had established in the game’s first few moves that her opponent wasn’t much of a threat.

The Chronicle Herald reporter who’d been playing for 35 years began to suspect the notions he’d cherished of being capable on the chessboard were in for a rude awakening.

Yancey, who’s been playing for seven months, took his bishop then called a bluff by trading queens and gaining board space in a coldly tactical move.

“Nine times out of 10,” the Antigonish teen said of her ratio of victory against her father, Patrick, who carved the set on which she played.

“I think it’s gotten higher than that as of late,” added Patrick.

Last weekend, at a tournament at Mount Saint Vincent University, Alice qualified for Nova Scotia’s 24-member provincial team at the Maritime Team Championship being held Nov. 18 in Charlottetown.

Her new and intense interest in chess mirrors a broader trend.

“We have seen an explosion in the number of chess players,” said Chris Felix, president of the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association, which organized the weekend’s tournament.

From expecting 40 to 50 players at provincial level tournaments a decade ago, the association has seen numbers ticking upward. There were 196 players at the provincial tournament held in April at Mount Saint Vincent.

Felix attributes the growth largely to people seeking hobbies during the COVID-19 lockdowns and to the Queen’s Gambit effect.

The popular Netflix miniseries launched in 2020 tells a young woman’s coming-of-age story that takes place in the competitive chess world.

“There’s no better game than chess for teaching you to think before you act,” said Felix.

“You are forced to live with the consequences of your mistakes for the rest of the game. Chess teaches critical learning skills that can be applied to other aspects of life.”

The requirement to calculate several positions ahead was part of the draw for Alice to the game.

She’s also immersed herself online, watching tournaments and styles of play.

“Probably Magnus Carlsson,” she said of the Norwegian chess grandmaster when asked her preferred player.

“He’s known for getting wins out of positions many people think are completely drawn.”

With that, she systematically removed the reporter’s remaining pieces from the board.