Kids of all ages made every move count at one of the largest chess tournaments in Minnesota on Saturday.

176 players participated in the “Check it out” tournament — one of three put on each year by Minneapolis Public Schools. Each tournament is free, volunteer-run and low-stakes.

The tournament is aimed at taking away the intimidation factor of chess by giving students and their parents exposure to tournament-style playing before dipping their toes into bigger tournaments.

MPS says the largest turnout was last winter, with over 250 players showing up. The chess craze has seen a dramatic increase in recent years, the district said.

“Post-pandemic young people are just super enthusiastic about chess along with e-sports,” said Jenny Delaney, MPS student engagement program coordinator. “During the pandemic, a lot of kids were watching competitive chess on YouTube, and so, this has now translated into a huge increase.”