Stampede of chess players expected in Calgary this summer

The Stampede may be Calgary’s signature summer event, but organizers are hoping for a flood of visitors soon afterwards to play in a festival of chess tournaments.

Just days after this year’s Calgary Stampede ends in July, the city will play host to the Canadian Open and Canadian Youth chess championships. More than 400 players are expected to compete.

Calgary’s tourism office is one of the chess event’s main sponsors, and organizers are hoping the recent explosion of interest in the game will draw big crowds. The tournaments have been in the planning stages for two years.

The city of Calgary and the Calgary Chess Club will play host to the Canadian Open.Handout

“We are hitting record numbers now in chess interest,” says Zeeshan Munir, president of Calgary’s chess club. He is especially pleased that more young people are being attracted to the game.

In an era where tournament time controls are getting shorter and shorter, the Canadian Open sticks to a one-game-a-day leisurely schedule. That encourages players to bring their families and turn their passion for the game into a vacation.

Munir says a number of high-profile grandmasters have signed up for the event, and there will be a variety of ways people can connect with them through lectures and simultaneous exhibitions. First prize in the tournament is $6,500.