Bolton Chess Fans to host history-themed tournament 

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local group of chess enthusiasts are inviting the community to their upcoming tournament.

On June 14, Bolton Chess Fans will host a history-themed chess tournament at Coffee Time in Bolton. Registration opens half an hour before the tournament start at 6 p.m. and all are welcome to attend.

Bolton Chess Fans was started in January of 2023 to bring the game of chess to the Caledon community and provide a place for players of all ages and skill levels to enjoy the game together. 

Dmitry Maznichenko of Bolton Chess Fans said the group meets twice a week, on Mondays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Fridays from 7:30 to 11 p.m.

“We start chess night with a short lesson, followed by social play,” said Maznichenko. “We try to get people to meet new people, new players, and on a monthly basis we host these tournaments.”

Maznichenko said the tournaments held by Bolton Chess Fans touch base on the lessons from chess nights, and formalize the game. He said it's great for young chess players who are starting to enter the world of competition.

“Kids that are playing chess tournaments within their school and the school boards, they have more exposure to that and more preparation for those kinds of events,” he said.

On World Chess Day, July 20, Bolton Chess Fans will participate in a world record attempt organized by the International Chess Federation.

“The International Chess Foundation is going to be attempting a new world record for the most number of people playing chess on the same day… we'll be participating in that attempt,” said Maznichenko. “We'll record our games and submit our results to the organization, and they'll tally up the (games from around the world) and come up with the number.”

Bolton Chess Fans is active online, with a website and Facebook and Instagram accounts. To get involved, Maznichenko encourages anyone interested to reach out on one of those platforms.