Chess in Canada

Organized gameplay of chess in Canada began in 1844, when the country's first club was founded in Montreal, Quebec.

The World Chess Championship 1894 between Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker was contested in Montreal from games 12 to 19.

In 1971, Fischer defeated Mark Taimanov 6-0 in a Candidates qualification match in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1975, Keres won the Vancouver Open, and while flying home, died during a stopover in Helsinki, Finland.

Most recently, Toronto hosted the Candidates Tournament 2024, with eight competitors of five nationalities, resulting in its winner Gukesh D qualifying to play the World Chess Championship 2024.