Making moves: Halifax teen is a rising star in the world of chess
Calix Marchand learned a new game at daycare when he was four.
"I remember coming back home and telling my dad about it and saying, like, I played this game with a king and a queen and a knight," he said.
Since then, Marchand, 13, has since won many chess tournaments across Canada and competed in matches all over the world.
In December, Halifax's Marchand became the youngest player from the Maritimes to earn the lifelong title of national chess master by the Chess Federation of Canada. He missed being the youngest chess master in Canada by just 23 months.
The game has taught Marchand a lot about life, he said.
"I really like how it's just a cool complex game and there's always … room for improvement," he said. "I also really like the competitiveness [of the game]."
The adults in his life have also noticed how Marchand's success in chess has influenced who he is as a person.
'Unmatched' skill
In his young career, Marchand has won events like the Canadian Youth Chess Championships and Canadian Chess Challenge.
He also represented his country at the World Cadet Chess Championship in Italy last November.
Chris Felix, president of the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association, described Marchand as "unmatched."
"I've witnessed a few rising stars over the years in Nova Scotia and Calix is progressing faster than all of the others in the past," Felix said.
Despite being ranked in the top 100 in the world for his age group, Marchand's attitude is what impresses Felix the most
Calix Marchand represented Canada at the World Cadet Chess Championship 2024 in Italy in November. Marchand, who was 12 at the time, finished ninth in his age category and 17th overall out of 150 participants. (Celeste Lefebvre)
It's not only Marchand's success that has rubbed off on other young players in Nova Scotia, but how he approaches the game," said Felix. That's made him a role model.
Celeste Lefebvre, Marchand's mother, believes it has helped her son's confidence. "It's probably the biggest thing," she said.
Chess has many different levels that allow a player to continue to evolve, Lefebvre said. She said she and her husband never played the game.
But they're more than happy to support their son's passion as they've noticed the lessons he's learning as a player and a person.
Marchand's parents are proud of his success but believe the game has taught him how to lose, too. (Josh Hoffman/CBC)
For one thing, Marchand has learned how to lose, his mother said.
"I think it's actually been really good from an emotional management perspective for him as well — learning how to lose and how to realize that failure allows you to learn from it and move on."
Marchand hasn't been losing much lately, however. He won the Nova Scotia Scholastic Chess Association annual grand prix last month for the second year straight.
He's competing in the Nova Scotia provincial championships in Halifax this weekend in hopes of winning a spot at the nationals in Ottawa next month.
Even though he's always thinking four moves ahead, Marchand doesn't get too far ahead of himself and always respects his opponent.
"In a game of chess, anything can happen. So you just can't underestimate anyone."
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San Francisco Chronicle
a day ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
After 2 overtime games, Panthers and Oilers relish days off as Stanley Cup Final shifts to Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — After Brad Marchand scored the winning goal in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, he and Florida Panthers teammate Sam Bennett were asked how they kept their bodies going during another long and intense matchup against the Edmonton Oilers. 'I think (Marchand) grabbed a Blizzard … I think it was Oreo today,' Bennett quipped, referring to a viral moment during the Eastern Conference finals when Marchand joked that he enjoyed a chocolate chip cookie dough treat from Dairy Queen between periods — which was later revealed as a spoonful of honey. 'Nice plug," Marchand responded with a chuckle. 'I like that.' They were joking, of course, but there was a point in Friday night's double-overtime game that Marchand spent time between periods pedaling on an exercise bike to stay loose — as players from both teams shuffled their tired bodies on and off the ice for hours. The first two games of the Stanley Cup Final have gone to overtime, only the sixth time in NHL history that's happened and first since 2014. Game 1 went on until Leon Draisaitl's power-play goal 19:29 into the extra period. Marchand put Game 2 to an end with a breakaway goal 8:07 into the second overtime. With the series tied 1-1, both teams will embark on a cross-continent trip from Canada to Florida, enjoying an extra day's rest between games to recover after an intense start to their championship series. Game 3 is Monday night in Sunrise, Florida. "Obviously a long game, a lot of back and forth," said Florida defenseman Seth Jones, who led the Panthers in ice time at 34 minutes, 35 seconds on Friday. Jones, who is averaging a team-high 25:45 on the ice in the postseason, played more than 30 minutes in both of the first two games of the series. He scored in the first period on Friday — his fourth goal of the postseason — and assisted on Dmitry Kulikov's goal in the second. 'We came here for a split and got it," Jones added, "and just going to recover now.' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said heading back to Florida with the series tied — instead of being down 0-2 — does make a minor mental difference, but one of his team's strengths is its tunnel vision approach. 'It's mathematically significant," Maurice said. "I'd like to think that we'd be dragging here today, this morning, if we had lost that game having had the lead for so long. But I think we're really good at cutting it off. "It's the same morning this morning at the meal room as it was two days ago (after the Game 1 loss). It's just on to the next day. We understand how to leave our days — the good ones and the bad ones — in the past and handle the day we have right now.' The Oilers are moving forward in the series with an equally short memory after missed chances in Game 2. Corey Perry, whose goal with 17.8 seconds left in the third period forced overtime, said the back-and-forth nature of the series was to be expected from the two teams, but there's no use in getting hung up on 'what-ifs.' 'What's it going to do?' Perry said. "It's not going to do anything for you now. Get on the plane tomorrow and get some rest and be ready for Game 3.' Few players have spent more time on the ice in the series than Connor McDavid. The Edmonton star played 31:12 in Game 1, and just over 35 minutes in Game 2 — more than anyone else in the game. That's nearly 10 minutes more than his postseason average of 24:22. McDavid's impact was certainly felt on Friday. He had three assists, including one in which he zipped through Florida's penalty kill to set up Draisaitl's power play goal in the first. Draisaitl noted after the game there's only one player in the world that can make such a highlight-reel play, but stressed the importance of using the two days off to recalibrate. ___
Hamilton Spectator
2 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Ageless Marchand plays hero for Panthers in Game 2 of SCF: ‘He's a beauty'
EDMONTON - Brad Marchand slipped a puck under Stuart Skinner's pad on his own rebound. That effort off the stick of the Florida Panthers winger dribbled through Edmonton's crease and touched the post before being cleared to safety. That agonizingly close call in Friday's first overtime period came after Marchand connected on a short-handed breakaway in the second period. The 37-year-old didn't miss on his next chance. Marchand scored on another breakaway — this time in double OT — as the Panthers beat the Oilers 5-4 to even the Stanley Cup final 1-1. 'Pure excitement and adrenalin for the whole group,' he said in describing the moment before getting mobbed by teammates inside a stunned Rogers Place. 'We all knew we were one shot away … luckily it went our way.' Florida, which beat Edmonton in seven games in last year's final for the franchise's first title, recovered after Corey Perry tied the game with 17.8 seconds left in regulation. 'We've always had a very calm team,' Marchand said. 'You draw from your experiences. We do a really good job of focusing on the moment.' His ninth and 10th goals all-time in Cup final play gave him the lead among active players. Marchand's performance came exactly 14 years after he scored short-handed in the 2011 final against the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo — the opposing netminder at the time and now special adviser for the Panthers — posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: 'Favourite player of all time.' 'Lu is awesome,' said the Halifax product. 'He's an incredible person. Happy to be on the team.' Marchand was acquired from the Bruins, who were eliminated by the Panthers from the 2023 and 2024 playoffs, at the trade deadline buzzer back in March. The fit has been seamless for a player that has made plenty of enemies throughout his career. 'Brad's an honest man,' said Florida head coach Paul Maurice, whose group dropped the series opener to Edmonton 4-3 in OT. 'He loves the game. He loves the people around him. He's very open, very gregarious. He (was) completely accepted. An incredibly positive human being. He's up and down our bench all the time just pumping tires, stays in the fight. He is going to be the same way at breakfast (Saturday) morning. He's just going to be jacked, high-fiving everybody at the table.' 'He enjoys the moment,' Panthers winger Evan Rodrigues added. 'He doesn't shy away from it.' Marchand's parents were in the stands Wednesday, with his mother was caught on camera celebrating her son's heroics. He was asked post-game to describe Lynn Marchand as a hockey mom. 'She is one that you need to put a muzzle on,' he said to laughter from reporters. 'She gets pretty amped up at the games. They've always been so supportive. I don't think any player in this league could say that their parents are not the main reason why we're here.' Marchand, who won the Cup in 2011 and also played in the 2013 and 2019 finals, has shown no signs of slowing down at age 37 in his 16th NHL season. 'He could play till he's 47 the way he's going,' Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said. 'Unreal player, unreal competitor.' Marchand's fifth career playoff OT goal tied Perry, Patrick Kane and Panthers teammate Carter Verhaeghe for the most among active players. The veteran forward also became the seventh player in NHL history to reach that number. 'He just finds a way,' said Florida defenceman Nate Schmidt, who had a couple of run-ins with Marchand earlier this season when he was still captaining Boston. 'I don't think it gets too big for him. He was one of our most vocal guys throughout the third and the intermissions. It doesn't seem like he ever gets too riled about it, which is something you need. 'He is a veteran presence guy that's got a ring. We're really lucky to have him.' Maurice called Marchand 'a unique human' that has found a new home as the best-of-seven series now shifts to South Florida. 'In the northern parlance,' said the coach, 'he's a beauty.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
‘He just finds a way': Panthers' Brad Marchand, at 37, has another big playoff moment
Anton Lundell retrieved the puck on the left side of the defensive zone midway through double overtime, took a couple strides and saw Brad Marchand streaking toward the neutral zone uncontested. 'He's a fast guy,' Lundell said. 'I saw him open. I just tried to give him the puck.' Once Marchand got the puck on his stick, he was off to the races. He charged down the ice, pushing toward the net on a breakaway. As he prepared to take his shot, Marchand felt a backcheck from Leon Draisaitl, trying to stymie the attempt and keep the game alive. Marchand adjusted on the fly. He moved the puck to his backhand and flicked it past Stuart Skinner. Marchand, at 37 years old, is the hero once again. His second goal of the game sealed the Florida Panthers' 5-4 double overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Friday in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, a win that leveled the best-of-7 series at 1-1 as it now shifts to South Florida for the next two games. Marchand leapt in the air before being mobbed by his teammates as the euphoria of the win took over. 'Pure excitement and adrenaline for the whole group,' Marchand said. 'It's obviously a very important game for our team. We all knew we were one shot away, and luckily it went our way. You can tell the excitement that we had in that moment for sure.' Marchand has had his share of big moments in the playoffs throughout his career. He had 13 postseason game-winners, including three in overtime, during his first 15 seasons with the Boston Bruins before being traded to the Panthers in March. On this run into the Stanley Cup Final, on this chance for Marchand to win the Cup for the second time in his career, he has seven goals, 17 points and a pair of overtime winners. Three of his seven goals have come in the first two games of this Stanley Cup Final series, giving him 10 in his career — the most among active players and making him one of just 37 players in NHL history with double-digit goals in the Stanley Cup Final in his career. 'He enjoys the moment,' forward Evan Rodrigues said. 'He doesn't shy away from it. He's not worried about making a mistake, per se. He goes out there, he competes and he lives and dies by his game. He's done a great job for us, and we'll need him to continue to do that.' Added defenseman Nate Schmidt: 'He just finds a way. He did a great job throughout the game, finding open ice around their net, and I think he just, I dunno, just shoved a pitchfork or however he gets it in there. We'll take it.' They'll take everything Marchand has to offer. Obviously his production on the ice has been critical as Florida attempts to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. But what he provides off the ice is just as critical. He's vocal. He's brash. He's authentic. 'Brad's an honest man, and that's why he fits in our room,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. 'He loves the game. He loves the people around him. He's very open, very gregarious, so he just fits right in. He's completely accepted. An incredibly positive human being. He's up and down our bench all the time just pumping tires, stay in the fight. He is going to be the same way at breakfast tomorrow morning. He's just going to be jacked, high-fiving everybody at the table.' And he's defying the clock while he does it. At the ripe age of 37 years and 26 days old, Marchand became the fourth-oldest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the Stanley Cup Final, behind Igor Larionov (41 years, 187 days; Game 3 in 2002), Steve Thomas (39 years, 322 days; Game 4 in 2003) and Ron Francis (39 years, 95 days; Game 1 in 2002). He plays with the joy and youthful exuberance of the rookie who has the experience of a veteran who has seen 1,276 NHL games between the regular season and the playoffs. 'He could play till he's 47 the way he's going,' star Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said. 'Unreal player, unreal competitor. He's scored, when you think about it, two of our biggest goals than playoffs so far. Hopefully he can keep it going.' Marchand's goals — he also scored on a shorthanded breakaway in the second period — helped give the Panthers life in this series after it almost slipped away from them again. Florida saw a two-goal lead in Game 1 slip away when it gave up a goal in the second, another in the third and lost with 31 seconds left in the first overtime. In Game 2 on Friday, the Panthers led 4-3 after two periods — overcoming a wild, five-goal first period after which they trailed 3-2 by scoring twice in the second — and was in control for most of the third period until Corey Perry scored with 17.8 seconds left to tie it and force overtime for a second consecutive game. 'Obviously you're disappointed they tied it up like that, but the emotion on the bench and in the room after the third, we've always had a very calm team,' Marchand said. 'I think you draw from your experiences. We do a really good job of focusing on the moment. A lot of guys have been through big moments, and we have a lot of really good leaders on this team, so you just try to draw on that. It didn't seem like there's any panic. There's a good feeling in the room. It doesn't faze guys. You can't let it this time of year.' Florida didn't. It weathered through the first overtime, one in which Edmonton had a 13-8 edge in shots on goal and waited for its opportunity to strike. It came 8:55 into the second overtime, with Marchand's breakaway ending the game and tying the series. 'It's just a huge play at a huge time and he's been incredible for us this whole playoffs,' center Sam Bennett said. 'He's scoring massive goals at massive times. That one was definitely the biggest.'
