Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown, and Klay Thompson, all these players enjoy a good mind game off the court, which is why they often play chess to unwind. But while most see it as a way to kill time, Derrick Rose sees something deeper. And now, the 3× NBA All-Star is rewriting this game’s purpose for good. And that vision of his took shape as Chesstival. During the festival, Rose finally peeled back the curtain, revealing why this board game matters so much to him.

Derrick Rose is turning his quiet love for chess into something louder and something that is filled with purpose. On July 13, Derrick teamed up with world champion Magnus Carlsen to host Chesstival at the Wynn Las Vegas. That event blended the intensity of basketball with the intellect of chess and it pulled former NBA players and grandmasters into one shared arena. And during the festival, he spelled out his full vision of the mission that he is trying to achieve through his brainchild, Chesstival.

Derrick Rose grew up in Chicago’s South Side, in Englewood. It’s a neighborhood which is long been marked by violence and a hostile environment. That environment shaped him, but he’s determined it won’t shape the next generation. Especially not the kids from his own community. Chess, surprisingly, is the path he’s chosen to shift that narrative. At Chesstival, Rose spoke with quiet urgency: “Where I’m from, [it’s important to] get kids to think about it before they pull the trigger, do harm, or get involved in nefarious things. The game can prevent that if you’re playing at an early age.” 

But Derrick Rose isn’t caught in a fantasy, because he knows that chess might not be able to solve everything. Still, he believes it can be a good start. As Rose said at Chesstival,  “I’m not saying it’s the solution, but (you) gotta start somewhere. I feel like this can be a start.” What Rose wants with this brainchild isn’t fame or fanfare, it’s impact. Chesstival is his way of reaching those lost kids, who are slowly drifting toward danger, and offering them a different route. 

And while Chesstival carries a powerful social mission to steer millions of American kids away from violence, there’s another layer to it for Derrick Rose. And this one’s a little personal. It’s his own mental health. Because for Rose, chess isn’t just a strategy on a board; it’s a therapy.

Derrick Rose sees Chess as a mental health remedy

“When I was younger, we used to have a lot of things that used to happen in my house and on my block to where I kind of got PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in a way.” Derrick Rose once shared, reflecting on the chaos that shadowed his childhood in Englewood. That haunting honesty peeled back a layer many never see in athletes. Over the years, Rose has also been candid about his struggles with mental health, especially in the wake of devastating injuries that reshaped his NBA journey. The pressure, the expectations, the public microscope, it all left a mark deeper than just physical pain.

In a high-octane game like the NBA, performance pressure doesn’t just weigh on your body; it chips away at your mind. Derrick Rose knows that firsthand. “I had anxiety whenever I (played basketball).” he openly admitted, pulling back the curtain on a truth many athletes keep buried. That constant grind, the spotlight, the expectation to bounce back, it takes a toll. And for Rose, chess became the antidote.

As Derrick Rose put it, “I never have anxiety whenever I play chess. Losing is actually worse in chess than basketball. After you lose in chess, it makes you want to fight. In basketball, I never got that mad.” Those words have a deeper meaning than they may seem. Because chess, unlike the chaos of the court, sharpens your instinct to respond, not retreat. And the former Chicago Bulls star believes that chess teaches you to bounce back with purpose. And in Rose’s eyes, that’s exactly the kind of mindset needed to turn a broken life into a bold comeback.