“5asideCHESS gives me a talking point, and it allows me to play with my friends and family easily and simply every day. This contact is never more important than it is now, particularly for those shielding or isolating when it is all too easy to spend hours just watching the news and getting more and more anxious. It gives me a reason to connect every day, a reason to ponder my next move, and a reason to learn something new. ”

At the end of 2019 I took 5asideCHESS with me while volunteering in Zambia, it allowed me to engage instantly with new people and develop a real connection. I used the game as an aid to teach local school children about sexual health. 5asideCHESS helped me bridge the language gap and discuss these important and sensitive issues.

“It has been a few years since I last played chess for pleasure. On moving to Cambridge, I decided to reactivate my interest as a means of meeting like-minded people. After some enquires, I was directed to The Crossways Communities Cafe and started playing chess again. What I really like is the idea of the first move being ‘hello’ – it has helped me break the initial barrier of being a new, yet older, resident in the community. Currently, because we are on lockdown due to the coronavirus with no or limited socialising, I have found 5asideCHESS is an ideal game to play via the internet.”