What
5 main pieces and 5 pawns on a roll-up board that fits in a coat pocket.
The Game
Founded as a social enterprise in 2015 by Ross Smith and Ian McKay.
How 5asideCHESS works
Five steps. One journey.
Smaller board.
Fewer pieces.Each player gets 10 pieces — 5 main pieces and 5 pawns — on a smaller 5 × 6 board.
Black goes first.
Black
goes 1stPlay 5 people
Get a 5asideCHESS set from our shop, then play 5 different people to earn your certificate from Cambridge.
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Complete your 25
This isn't just about playing chess.
Your 25 is a personal development and self-discovery journey — learning about yourself and the world through the people you meet.
Get your engraved medal
Complete your 25 connections and you can receive your engraved 5asideCHESS medal.
A marker of the journey so far — not the end of it.
100 and beyond
Keep meeting. Keep learning. Keep growing.
Your journey doesn't end at 25. Every person brings a different story, perspective or life experience — keep connecting and collecting Pearls of Wisdom.
At 100 connections, you can have the back of your medal engraving updated with the years of wisdom you've collected.
100+KEEP MEETING · KEEP LEARNING · KEEP GROWING
Ready to start your journey?
Get your 5asideCHESS set, create your profile and make your first connection.
Your 1st move is hello.