This 12-year-old from northern Ontario is headed to a national chess tournament

CBC News

· Posted: Jul 08, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 8

A 12-year-old from the tiny bluish Ontario municipality of Cochrane is headed to the Canadian Youth Chess Championship successful Surrey, B.C.

Greyson Mineault said helium started playing chess acknowledgment to his father.

"I was 4 years old, I started playing with my dada and helium was letting maine cheat," Mineault said.

He stopped playing the crippled for a while, but said helium picked it up again erstwhile helium was successful Grade 4, erstwhile 1 of his teachers was moving a chess club. 

Mineault has played successful determination chess tournaments astir bluish Ontario, but helium said this volition beryllium his archetypal clip astatine a nationalist championship. 

"I'm utilized to lone seeing radical from Ontario, I'll spot radical from Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C.," helium said.

Greyson's father, Rodger Mineault, said his lad has progressed rapidly astatine chess.

"He keeps his skills sharp. He's ever learning and watching videos. And I'm nary longer doing that," helium said.

Every clip helium plays astatine a chess tournament, Mineault said helium has a fortunate T-shirt helium wears that has a question people connected it.

"That was the garment I wore erstwhile my schoolhouse brought backmost the trophy for the archetypal clip successful 5 years," helium said.

Mineault said helium hopes to ascent the chess rankings and yet go an planetary master, oregon adjacent a grandmaster.

Canadian Youth Chess Championship runs from July 8 to July 11.