Chess Tournament Raises Funds for Charity

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Chess, typically a game of solitary contemplation, took on a collaborative twist as chess masters joined forces with ambitious youth to host a charity chess tournament benefiting the Victor Sassoon Heart Foundation in honor of Heart Month.

According to Curtis Pride, President of The Bahamas Chess Federation, tournaments usually draw participants of all ages, but this particular event provided an avenue for players to merge their passion for the game with a chance to make a community impact.

Federation members compete at high levels internationally, including pride’s two sons, Curtis Jr and 16-year-old Avian, The Bahamas National Chess Champion, and his daughters Angel and Chika. A four-member co-ed team heads to Guyana to compete in the CARICOM International Chess Tournament from March 3-10.

The federation also travels to Hungary to contest the Chess Olympiad from September 10-23. Pride’s daughter Chika is the first female from The Bahamas to qualify for this year’s olympiad. Although, Pride is proud of his children’s accomplishments, seeing his children compete at such a high level is not enough. 

The tournament stemmed from the young innovators’ boot camp by the Small Business Development Center, an eight-week program aimed at expanding young entrepreneurs’ knowledge through seminars and challenges.

Geena Thompson-Williams, a spokesperson for team microchip which is a part of this year’s cohort, says members she’s excited about future collaborations with The Chess Federation and other community organizations.

If you’re interested, you can visit bahamaschessfederation.org to find out more about the programs.