Check Mates
Strategic connections, one move at a time.
The Challenge
In 2023, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness an epidemic. Isolation rivals the effects of smoking 15 cigarettes per day and increases heart disease and stroke risks by 29% and 32%, respectively. While those 50- to 80-years old commonly admit feeling socially isolated, loneliness also affects young people: Sixty-one percent of those 13 to 24 say it takes some toll on their mental health.
The Solution
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Community investment has been shown to mitigate collective loneliness, bolstering individual and group wellness. Check Mates creates multigenerational bonds to strengthen communities through chess. By bringing younger and older players together in friendly matches that encourage learning, Check Mates develops connections that fight the loneliness epidemic. Especially during times of instability and in the setting of accelerating technology, divisions among people are hastened, making Check Mates especially relevant today.
Check Mates events have taken place all around the country:
