By: Fern Sidman

The ancient game of chess is experiencing a remarkable resurgence in popularity, captivating players across generations and cultural backgrounds. Once seen as a slow-paced pursuit reserved for the intellectually elite, chess has now found fresh life through digital platforms, celebrity endorsements, and viral online content. Streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube have elevated chess influencers—many of them young grandmasters and charismatic amateurs—into global personalities, turning high-stakes matches and tactical brilliance into binge-worthy entertainment. The COVID-19 pandemic also played a major role, as people stuck at home turned to the game for mental stimulation and social connection, discovering—or rediscovering—its endless strategic depths.

What’s especially notable about chess’s revival is how inclusive and accessible it has become. Apps such as Chess.com and Lichess allow anyone with a smartphone to play, learn, and compete, often for free. Educational institutions are reintroducing chess into classrooms as a tool to sharpen focus, patience, and problem-solving skills. Meanwhile, Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit sparked a global surge in interest, especially among women and young adults, dispelling the myth that the game is outdated or male-dominated. In today’s fast-paced digital world, chess offers a rare blend of intellectual rigor and contemplative calm—a perfect antidote to screen fatigue and a bridge between generations, cultures, and minds.

In a quiet but persistent renaissance sweeping through classrooms, community centers, and senior halls across Brooklyn, one name resonates at the heart of it all: Eric Fleischman. A National Chess Master and lifelong public servant, Fleischman has made it his mission to bring the art and strategy of chess to those who might never have encountered a chessboard, let alone a tutor with master credentials. Whether it’s a yeshiva classroom in Borough Park, a hobby store in Carroll Gardens, or a senior program in Brighton Beach, Fleischman is proving that chess knows no demographic boundaries—and that its power to stimulate the mind is both timeless and universal.

“I started playing when I was 11, with my brother,” Fleischman told The Jewish Voice in an exclusive interview. “It was just a fun thing between us at first. But then it became more serious—something I could study, master, and eventually teach.”

And master it he did. While studying at Brooklyn College, Fleischman was elected captain of the chess team and president of the campus chess club. In 1981, under his leadership, the team clinched the Pan-American Intercollegiate Chess Championship, an achievement he credits as a formative moment in his chess journey.

“I realized then that chess wasn’t just a hobby,” he said. “It could be a language, a discipline, and even a form of community service.”

From Borough Hall to the Borough’s Chess Halls

Before devoting himself full-time to chess education, Fleischman had an extensive career in New York City’s social services sector and later served as an assistant to Brooklyn Borough Presidents Howard Golden and Marty Markowitz. During his tenure at Borough Hall, Fleischman organized several high-profile chess exhibitions and tournaments, merging his civic duties with his deep passion for the game.

“Even then, I saw chess as a public good,” Fleischman explained. “It promotes concentration, patience, and sportsmanship. These are civic values.”

In 1987, he formally earned the title of National Chess Master—a milestone for any American player—and soon began teaching chess part-time. That same year, he became coordinator of the chess program at the Marks Jewish Community House in Bensonhurst, a role he still holds more than three decades later. The program serves children across all levels, from beginners learning the movement of pawns to advanced players mastering intricate endgame tactics.

A Borough-Wide Chess Revival

Today, Fleischman’s influence is felt across a sprawling network of institutions. At IVDU, a yeshiva for boys in Borough Park, he brings the discipline of chess into an educational framework designed for special needs students. At JASA, the Jewish Association for Serving the Aging, he works with retirees who often find in chess a joyful return to mental engagement and camaraderie.

“I see chess as a mental gymnasium for seniors,” he noted. “It’s not just about winning or losing. It’s about keeping the mind agile and engaged.”

He also teaches at The Brooklyn Strategist, a popular board game café and learning space in Carroll Gardens, and is a key figure in Chess Chevra, an organization that offers both in-person and virtual lessons to the Orthodox Jewish community. Chess Chevra’s reach includes school programs, private coaching, small group lessons, and international tournaments, expanding access to chess in communities traditionally underrepresented in competitive play.

Additionally, Fleischman is involved with Chess Advance, another Brooklyn-based initiative focused on introducing the game to children in southern Brooklyn.

A Master, an Author, and a Community Builder

In 2018, Fleischman was designated an “Original Life Master,” a recognition from the United States Chess Federation (USCF) for sustained high performance over decades. Not one to rest on his laurels, he authored “The Richter-Veresov Attack: Qd3 Variation” in 2023, published by Mongoose Press. The book received praise for its innovative take on a less-traveled chess opening.

“Right away, you’ll be taking your opponents out of their preparation and into your comfort zone,” a reviewer noted. “Eric Fleischman shows you how to bypass a lot of that body of theory with an early deployment of the queen to d3—an idea sometimes known as the Amazon Attack.”

Fleischman is currently organizing what he calls the Brooklyn Boro-Wide Chess Festival, scheduled for Spring 2026, and is actively seeking sponsors and participants. “This isn’t just a tournament,” he said. “It’s a celebration of chess culture across Brooklyn.”

But before that, Fleischman has another marquee event: the launch of a new chess club at Kings Games, located on East 15th Street near Kings Highway. The grand opening is set for July 10, and will feature a simultaneous exhibition by renowned Grandmaster Max Dlugy, who will face 25 players at once. A $25 entry fee and $5 cover charge apply, and pre-registration is required.

“This is about building a culture, not just a club,” Fleischman emphasized. “We want players of all ages and levels to feel welcome—whether you’ve been playing for decades or just picked up the game last week.”

A Chess Renaissance Rooted in Brooklyn

As chess enjoys a global resurgence—spurred by streaming platforms, viral tournaments, and a renewed appreciation for analog strategy in a digital age—Eric Fleischman is doing something deeper and more enduring. He is helping shape a grassroots chess culture, rooted in community, enriched by diversity, and driven by the belief that the game belongs to everyone.

“Chess gave me a language to connect with people,” he said. “Now I try to give that gift back, one game, one student at a time.”

For more information about the Kings Games event or the Brooklyn Boro-Wide Chess Festival, Eric Fleischman can be reached directly at [email protected].