What if one of the world's oldest games were to become one of the most powerful social tools of our time? That is exactly what is happening right now—worldwide, on an astonishing scale, and with a growing body of scientific evidence.

I had the opportunity to attend the European Prison Chess Championship in Teramo, Italy, an event that once again demonstrated how the power of chess extends far beyond competition.

On July 8, André Vögtlin had the special honor of delivering a speech at the UN. The focus was on how chess has an impact far beyond the game itself.

“Moving into the nursing home changed my life significantly. There is a lot of waiting time here, so I started playing online blitz games to pass the time.”