Spotlight on Aidan Mart

Many years ago chess had a reputation of being a slow moving game played and enjoyed mainly by older people.  Over the past decade or so, chess has become more popular with younger people especially school age children.

Below, I interviewed Aidan, who is one of the top junior chess players in The Bahamas, about chess and science. 

​Interviewer: Aidan, thank you for agreeing to this interview.  As we begin, would you please share how or who introduced you to chess and what were your first impressions of the game?  

Aidan: I was introduced to chess by my father in 2010.  I was immediately intrigued by the game, especially by the sheer number of possible combinations – so many opportunities for creativity!  The way the pieces moved was also interesting; each one seemed to fill the gaps the others left, leaving a constantly dynamic position on the board.


Interviewer: I believe it is safe to describe you as a tournament player.  What did you expect in your first chess tournament?  How well did the tournament live up to your expectations?  
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Aidan: I participated in my first tournament in 2019: the Scholastic Individual.  I had previously scorned tournaments as overly competitive and without purpose, but when I actually participated in one, it was much different from what I expected.  The games were difficult and complicated; the players were strong, and I encountered players at my playing level, giving me great insight into my own weaknesses and flaws.  The tournament far surpassed my expectations, and was exceptionally fun to play in.


​Interviewer: Which tournaments have you played in internationally?  What was the format and how were the general playing conditions for the players?  How did those international tournaments differ from the domestic tournaments you participate in?  

Aidan: I’ve played in CARIFTA 2019 and the NAYCC 2019.  Both had a 90|30 format and the games were played in a large, quiet room.  These tournaments differed from the domestic tournaments in that there were, compared to the players I usually played in the BCF, very strong players around every corner, making many of my games complicated and difficult.  Additionally, they were comically militant on maintaining “ABSOLUTE SILENCE,” according to the CARIFTA lead arbiter.  However, because of these differences (maybe not so much the arbiter), I learned much from these games, and they have impacted my play to this day.

Aidan Mart

Interviewer: In your view and experience, what are some of the benefits of learning and playing chess?  

Aidan: Firstly, scientific studies show that chess significantly improves rapid critical thinking among players.  Secondly, chess can give one insight into other occurrences in life that seem unresolvable.  Thirdly, the game itself is fun to play and is a great source of entertainment.


Interviewer: I have read some chess articles discussing whether chess is a sport, art or science?  In which category do you believe chess fits and why?  

Aidan: I think chess is a sport, but not the normal, athletic type (though the exhaustion is real).  Chess is a mental sport: you sit down at a table in front of a problem and think deeply for hours on end about how to solve it.  This can leave you mentally fatigued.


Interviewer: In 1996, Garry Kasparov, then World Chess Champion, won a chess match against an IBM supercomputer called “Deep Blue.”  One year later Deep Blue won the rematch 4 – 2.  What is your opinion of computer chess software?  Are they good for chess or not? If so, how?  

Aidan: I think they are somewhere in between.  Computers certainly have contributed to deep position analysis, opening novelties, and endgames, but they also open the door for accessible cheating.  For one, computers can now fit into extremely small containers – some as small as a thumb drive – and still are able to defeat even the strongest players.


Interviewer: I understand that former World Chess Champions had other talents and expertise besides playing chess.  For example, Vassily Smyslov was also an opera singer and Max Euwe was a mathematician.  In your view, are any of those disciplines, music or mathematics, compatible or naturally connected with chess?  If so, how?  

Aidan: I think chess has deep connections to mathematics, especially in statistics and graph theory.  Graph theorists commonly pose questions or examples in the form of a chessboard and a certain type of piece.  For example, how many queens can fit on an 8x8 chessboard without attacking each other?


Interviewer: I understand that you have an interest in space.  Do you believe that humans will ever play chess on Mars, and how much longer would you estimate before that happens?  

Aidan: I certainly think that humans will play chess on Mars at some point in the future, although how far in the future is up for debate.  NASA’s Artemis program is a precursor to their humans-to-Mars goal, but SLS has not even launched once yet, and the program is likely to extend into the 2030s before completion.  SpaceX’s aspirational goal for crewed Starship landings on Mars is in the late 2020s or early 2030s.  Only time will tell how long it will be.

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Interviewer:  Lastly Aidan, how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your chess playing activities and do you plan on playing any tournaments this summer?

Aidan: During the pandemic, I stared actively playing on online platforms, Lichess especially.  I've continued to play over-the-board games to keep in practice for in-person tournaments and I definitely plan to participate in tournaments this summer.