‘The Queen’s Gambit’ sparks renewed interest in North Vancouver park chess set

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NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) — If you take a stroll past Grand Boulevard Park in The City of North Vancouver, you might notice the old, outdoor chess set that lies there has been given a fresh look.

The set has actually been in the park for around 30 years, but it was recently given some minor renovations, with more people using it in recent months.

But, why are more people heading out to the set?

City officials believe the Netflix show, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ likely has something to do with it.


The mini-series, starring Anna-Taylor Joy, was released on the streaming giant was released in October, and has drawn acclaim from both viewers and critics.

It follows a young woman with a troubled past, as she tries to navigate the world of competitive chess in the 1950s, which is largely male-dominated.

North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan says, she’s been seeing all types of people using the set.

“I was up there, and we saw, what looked like a grandma with two young kids, who was showing them how to move the pieces,” she says. “I’ve seen fathers with children teaching them how, I’ve seen people my age and older.”

She says it’s very interesting to see the impact the pop culture world can have on people, and says there are some similarities between the show, and what we’ve all gone through during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This character had some challenges, but she had people who believed in her, and she had people who supported her, and I think that’s what we’ve seen in our community,” she says. “I couldn’t be more proud of how our community has come together during this 18 months and supported one another.”

Mayor Buchanan says it’s good to have more options for people outdoors, with more of us heading outside during this pandemic.

“80 per cent of my community lives in multi-family buildings, so under the health orders… we want our parks to be used as an extension of their backyards.”

She says it has a new coat of paint, and some new, large playing pieces.

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