Mason Hintz
Chess Club flyer for new members
For those looking for a laid-back tabletop gaming after school, then the brand new Chess Club – run by student Nolan Brown (11), Chris Noble (adviser), Jennifer Osar (adviser), – has started to for any students interested in the game of strategy and logic. As of Thursday, Sept. 4, the club currently meets at 3:05 p.m. in room E216 on Thursdays, this new club provides a flexible experience catered by its attendees.
A day for the chess club will look different week-by-week. Participants can use their physical boards as well as digital programs to practice strategy and improve their game. The setting can move around as well, from the main classroom to science rooms to the commons. Most importantly, the atmosphere may be as casual or competitive as players decide.
There are no requirements or barriers in joining the club. Adviser Noble said, “We just ask that everybody’s patient, and willing to teach and learn.”
All skill levels for chess are accepted, including students who have never played chess at all. The club accommodates anyone who is interested.
For the meantime, the club is still growing, and its advisers are looking into the potential of competition with other schools. In the future, Chess Club may host challenges and local tournaments, giving all present members the potential to compete and win prizes.
Certain local chess groups have gone even further, with the Illinois High School Association having its own chess team. As the Harlem Chess Club grows, the potential for interscholastic sport may open up in the future. For now, Chess Club is a relaxed environment led by and for the students.
After all, student leadership is what got the club started; Nolan Brown (11) took the initiative in bringing on advisers and proposing the idea to Principal Dr. Bois. Founding Chess Club was an opportunity that he took for self-improvement.
Brown said, “I’m trying to make it into the Air Force Academy, and I’m trying to show my leadership skills. It’s something that I’m passionate about, so it just mixed in very well for me.”
These clubs rely on the support of the student body, for students interested in chess, or who want to try a new hobby, Chess Club in E216 is open. It may be difficult at first, but as Brown said, “it’s a learning process. It’s just like anything else.”