For Zenan Gluckie, chess has always been part of the family.
The grade 10 student grew up around the game. His father is a chess master, and the pieces were already familiar long before Zenan began competing in tournaments.
“He showed me how the pieces move when I was really young, and I just kept playing from there,” Gluckie said.
That early exposure eventually led to a major milestone earlier this month.
Gluckie won the Saskatchewan Provincial Chess Championship for his grade on March 8 in Saskatoon. The victory now sends the Lloydminster teen to the 2026 Canadian National Chess Championship, where he will represent Team Saskatchewan over the May long weekend in Winnipeg.
The national event brings together provincial champions from across the country to compete for the Canadian title.
For Gluckie, the path to that stage was not always smooth.
His first tournament came at age 11 during a one-day rapid event. The results were humbling.
“I actually lost every game,” Gluckie said. “It wasn’t the best start, but it made me realize how much there was to learn and motivated me to improve.”
Another moment helped push him toward taking the game more seriously.
“One moment that really motivated me was losing to my younger cousin, who is actually quite a strong player,” he said. “That loss stuck with me and made me want to start studying the game more seriously.”
In the years since, chess has become a daily discipline.
Gluckie now spends roughly one to two hours a day studying or practicing, especially when preparing for tournaments.
His training includes studying famous games from legendary players such as Bobby Fischer, working through tactical puzzles, and reviewing his own matches to find mistakes and missed opportunities.
“I really enjoy the strategic side of chess, especially slowly building pressure in a position and squeezing my opponent until the position becomes very difficult for them to defend,” he said.
That patient style paid off during the provincial championship.
Gluckie entered the tournament knowing the stakes were high.
“I was definitely nervous because it was such a big opportunity,” he said. “I tried to stay calm and focus on playing the best chess I could one game at a time.”
In the final match against Abigail Sorgard of Churchbridge, the game did not begin the way he hoped.
“It started as a pretty solid opening, but in the middlegame I actually misplayed the position and ended up worse,” Gluckie said. “I kept putting pressure on the position though, and eventually things turned around and I was able to win.”
After securing the provincial title, Gluckie also played two rated games against Grade 12 provincial competitors. While those matches did not affect qualification standings, they provided a chance to test himself against older players.
Gluckie won both games, defeating Grade 12 champion Hudson Currie of Regina and Oscar Salkeld of Regina.
“It was a great opportunity to play against some of the strongest players in Saskatchewan and really test myself,” he said. “It felt good to compete at that level and still come out on top.”
The victories reflect four years of steady improvement and tournament experience across Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Chess demands intense concentration, and Gluckie said once a game begins his focus narrows quickly.
“Everything else kind of fades away and all I’m thinking about is trying to find the best move,” he said.
Still, the game has delivered tough lessons along the way.
One loss during a tournament in Edmonton still stands out.
“I played a really long game and eventually won a pawn, but then I blundered and lost,” Gluckie said. “Experiences like that really show how important it is to stay focused until the very end.”
Next up is the biggest challenge of his chess career.
At the Canadian Chess Challenge in Winnipeg, Gluckie will face some of the strongest youth players in the country, including nationally ranked competitors and masters.
“I’m really excited to compete against some of the best players in Canada and learn from the experience,” he said. “It also means a lot to represent Saskatchewan and my community on the national stage.”
He expects the toughest battle may not be on the board.
“One of the biggest challenges will be the psychological side of playing against players who are among the best in the country,” he said.
Outside of chess, Gluckie keeps life balanced by going to the gym and spending time with friends.
But the game that started around the family home continues to shape his ambitions.
For younger students thinking about picking up chess, his advice is simple.
“My advice would be not to expect to win right away,” Gluckie said. “Focus on having fun with it, solve puzzles, play games online, and keep learning as you go.”
As he prepares to represent Saskatchewan in Winnipeg this spring, Gluckie’s journey shows how patience, discipline, and a love for the game can turn early losses into championship wins.
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