Chess entrepreneur hopes Canada will produce more top-notch international players

When he moved to Canada from Nigeria 20 years ago, Ken Green and his wife had no jobs, no assets, no income and very little savings.

“We had to hustle and figure out a way to make a living,” he said. “At the time, as an immigrant, it was very challenging to find relevant work with no Canadian education or Canadian work experience.”

His wife eventually landed a job with a bank, and he got his MBA at York University, which was a stepping stone to a professional accounting career.

But his passion for chess, which began at university in Nigeria, gave him an idea for a new venture.

Green now spends some of his time trying to grow the chess community in Canada. Through his organization, called Elevate My Chess, he organizes events in Ontario and helps people reach higher levels of play.

“When I came here I was disappointed to see Canada was behind in the game. We didn’t have enough grandmasters and international masters,” Green says. “I wanted to get more people involved.”

Green, who also runs the Oakville chess club, is planning a tournament in February to give Canadian players a chance to earn international titles.