01Why connection?
Most people want more connection than they have, but starting a conversation with a stranger can feel difficult.
5asideCHESS creates a socially acceptable reason to sit down together. The 5asideCHESS board becomes the introduction.
The Game
A Message from the Co-Founder
Hear from Ian McKay, Co-Founder of 5asideCHESS, as he shares the thinking behind the game and what 5asideCHESS is really about.
Because saying hello is one of the hardest easy things a person can do.
02Why chess?
Something to do with your hands, somewhere to look and a shared task to focus on.
The natural pauses between moves create space for conversation — often allowing people to share things they might not otherwise say.
03More than a game
Chess has been used therapeutically for centuries, with accounts dating back to 9th-century Baghdad.
Today, chess is explored in contexts including ADHD and dementia, while the game itself can help develop important life skills.
- Patience
- Problem-solving
- Decision-making
- Resilience
Battling Suicide
Check on ya mate.
A great deal of what we do is simply making it normal to ask someone how they are and then wait for the real answer. The Battle Bus tour began for exactly that reason, and written all over its bodywork are memorials to someone that commit suicide.
