Regina youth lead chess tournament fundraiser

A Grade 10 student in Regina is bringing youth and seniors together through a chess fundraiser to support education abroad.

A Grade 10 student is bringing youth and seniors together through a chess tournament fundraiser in Regina.

Sougoto Das Chakrabarty, founder of Chess for Hope, said his interest in the game began when he started playing with his father post-pandemic.

“Chess is a game that requires no luck. It’s all skill-based,” Das Chakrabarty said. “You did a good job if you won, and if you lost it teaches you accountability.”

After organizing the Interschool Chess Championship at his high school last fall, he noticed there was a strong interest in the game among youth.

With the goal of expanding that interest to seniors and others in the community, while raising money for children’s education abroad, Das Chakrabarty planned the 55+ Charity Chess Challenge with a group of like-minded students.

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“A few years ago I’d gone back to visit Bangladesh. While I was there, I walked past a sweatshop and inside I saw a boy who looked about my age and something in me couldn’t just walk past,” he said.

“I went up to him and I asked him, ‘How come you’re working instead of going to school?’ He looked at me and said his parents didn’t have enough money, and that he had to work to put food on the table for his family. I stood there. I just couldn’t shake it off because I, someone who grew up in Canada, where education is a right…and this boy is saying he’s never had the chance.”

All of the money raised from the charitable event will go towards sponsoring a child’s education through Plan International Canada.

“That moment really stuck with me since it shows the unequal opportunities that exist within our world and society. I wanted to tackle that through a way that I know how to, through chess,” he said.

Although there was a small turnout at this year’s event, Das Chakrabarty plans to keep on bringing people together through future initiatives.

“I’m hoping to continue with what I’m doing with the youth community, and keep on spreading that joy for chess,” he said.

“I hope if we see that interest in Regina, then we can continue to do something sustainable.”

More details about the local initiative can be found on its website.