ChessBuddies & Mates has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Zaar to buy the equipment it needs to bring chess to more children across Malta and Gozo.

A registered voluntary organisation, ChessBuddies & Mates was set up to give children and teenagers fun, safe and welcoming places to learn and play chess. The community now brings together young players and their families at in-person sessions and chess clubs, workshops, school initiatives and tournaments in various localities including Paola, Mellieħa and Gozo.

Children of any age or ability can play chess, and many already do on a phone or tablet. ChessBuddies & Mates creates opportunities for children to play across a real board, in supervised sessions where their families can also get to know one another.

Each session relies on having enough boards and clocks to go round - and through its crowdfunding campaign on local platform Zaar, ChessBuddies & Mates aims to ensure there are.

The €2,000 it seeks to raise will go towards chess boards and sets, digital chess clocks, the Swiss Manager system used to run tournaments, and certification for teachers and trainers. With more chess sets, more children can play at the same time, and more towns and villages can host a session. The equipment will be used at tournaments, school sessions, local council partnerships and chess meetups and, where possible, ChessBuddies & Mates also hopes to pass it on to other communities that need it.

"We believe every child deserves the chance to learn chess, regardless of ability or background," says Paul Schembri, president and founder of ChessBuddies & Mates. "Our community is run by volunteers, so it feels right to ask the people of Malta and Gozo to help it grow through crowdfunding. Each set we add lets us take chess into another school, youth group or locality. And every contribution, large or small, brings us one move closer."

Apart from the satisfaction of supporting the local chess community, backers can also expect rewards related to the amount they donate. With a €10 pledge, they will receive a digital copy of Niko the Knight (Niko l-Kavallier), the organisation's own children's chess book in Maltese and English. Produced with the support of the National Literacy Agency, the book is designed to help children learn chess while encouraging reading. A €20 pledge adds a one-year membership starting from January for one adult and one child, while at €50, the membership covers two adults and two children.

To support the ChessBuddies & Mates crowdfunding campaign before it closes on 31 October, visit www.zaar.com.mt