Discussion Item 5A1 Chess Today in Canada

[Lyle Craver]

Unlike last year at this time live tournaments are no longer a rarity.

Where do we go from here? Let's hear your views...

[Roger Langen]

Is the growth in membership and chess popularity translating into sponsorship opportunities?

[Vladimir Drkulec]

Is the growth in membership and chess popularity translating into sponsorship opportunities?

I believe that it is. The CFC is addressing the low lying fruit by interacting with the sport tourism industry and specifically local tourism bureaus. We are also getting FIDE putting the Candidates in Toronto. Chess.com organized a very high profile tournament last year in Toronto. We had to do a little scrambling to register that one with FIDE. Chess.com is holding another high profile event in Toronto in December, I believe.

I attended the Covid delayed Sport Tourism Canada conference in Edmonton in November, the same conference in June where my participation was cut short by the passing of my father while I was away. I will be attending another sport hosting conference in Ottawa next month by the old organizers of the Edmonton event.