The universal game of chess has always been part of Library programming. At Alderney Gate Public Library, the chess club was first established in 1993 and has run at this branch for the last three decades thanks to the support of staff, volunteers, and community members who all share a passion for this classic board game.
At Alderney Gate's Dartmouth Junior Chess Club, kids of all ages and experience levels can drop in and play chess with other kids on a weekly basis. Once a year, there's a chess tournament kids can compete in to practice what they've learned and win some prizes.
Volunteers and experienced players like Chris are always around to offer support and coach players of all levels. For our chess volunteers, it's about sharing the love for the game.
From Player to Volunteer
Chris first discovered his love for chess in grade 5, as a child who also enjoyed playing board games and video games. He joined Alderney Gate Public Library's chess club—known by various names throughout the years—in 1997 and has stuck around ever since! Under the guidance of the late Don Bidgood, one of the original directors of Alderney Gate's chess program, Chris remained a dedicated attendee until 2003, when he aged out of the program, but stayed on to help as a volunteer.
"I grew up through the club," recalls Chris, "so it was more of a giving back to the community. I played chess there and I wanted to go and give my time so other people could play chess there." Volunteering with the chess program over the years has allowed Chris to encourage young players and spark curiosity in those who may never have tried chess before.
A longtime volunteer with the Library, Chris is the Director of the Dartmouth Junior Chess Club and a regular presence at the Saturday meet-ups. He is also the President of the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association, opens a new window and Vice President of Chess Nova Scotia, opens a new window, which have similar goals of encouraging the game of chess through play and competitions.
The Sport of Chess
"I played chess as a kid and I grew up playing chess, but I believe in education and critical thinking," says Chris. "And chess is one of those, you know—we call it a game, but it actually is a sport, and it is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a sport."
Chess is a game one can continuously learn from, whether playing casually or competitively. As Chris describes it, "You can do what you want with chess. All of it teaches the critical thinking, pattern recognition, and systematic thought process skills."
Though not an athletic sport, chess is certainly a game that requires regular exercise of the mind. Even physical exercise is important when sitting in long tournaments. "I challenge anyone to sit in constant thought for five hours. It's difficult," laughs Chris, reminiscing on his own tournaments.
And how do kids fare in these chess tournaments? "You know what's funny," says Chris, "I have about 120 kids in my tournament room. You walk in that hall and, everyone from grade primary to grade 12, you can pretty much hear a pin drop in that tournament room." The Saturday drop-ins may be more of a casual setting for play and conversation, but during a tournament, kids are completely focused on the game.
"Chess is at odds with technology."
Today, overexposure to screens can lower attention spans, which can be a concerning effect on kids who are still learning and growing from their environments. "Chess works in the opposite way," says Chris, "where it's forcing people to sit down and focus, collect the information, make decisions, and then evaluate—you know, 'How did my decisions play out?'"
As our technological environments continue to change, Chris can see the value in playing a simple game of chess. "I think these skills are even more important in the future, especially as we become more reliant on technology and more reliant on artificial intelligence. I think having people with critical thinking skills is very important."
Chris's goal through his volunteer efforts is to give people the opportunity to play chess and to use chess as a tool to learn critical thinking skills. "I believe in the opportunity for everyone to be able to play chess and learn the lessons from chess."
Honouring Don's Legacy
Chris credits his dedication to the Library's chess program to his mentor, the late Don Bidgood, who was one of the founders of the club in 1993 and remained a devoted chess enthusiast throughout his retirement. "He was a role model to everyone there," describes Chris.
Don made volunteering with the club a breeze. Even in times of tournaments, Don would prepare instructions and packages detailing each volunteer's role that made organizing and running the tournament much smoother and more efficient. Before computers became part of our everyday lives, it was a quite a feat to manually register kids and pair them up by their experience levels. "There's very few people that probably remember or know exactly how you would do this on paper," says Chris.
For Chris, memories made at chess club are long-lasting. "I remember one time I was there," he recalls, "it was getting quite loud in the room. And I was like, 'Don, are you okay with the noise?' He goes, 'Sorry, Chris, I just turn the hearing aids off nowadays.' So, he couldn’t hear a thing anyway!"
Chris is hopeful the game of chess will stay at the Library for a long time to come, and more volunteers will take on the mantle to keep encouraging young players. "It's just continuing to provide the opportunity for people to come and play chess and learn those important skills."
Resources
Are you interested in playing chess but not sure where to start? Drop by one of our Chess Clubs, or check out this list of learning resources, opens a new window from the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association.
Are you interested in volunteering? Check in with your local branch's chess club, or browse our many other volunteer opportunities.
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