Chess Club Welcomes Newbies to the Boards
Emilio Larios and David Carberra play chess at a club meeting in Room A215. Photo: Xue Feng Zou
By XUE FENG ZOU
Every Tuesday during Period 9, Room A215 fills up with students and the sound of chess pieces shifting around the board.
“Around 30 to 40 people come to the club every week,” said Alvin Yan, a senior and the current club leader. “I joined the club as I’ve been playing chess since third grade. It's always been a hobby,” he said.
While the club did enter a tournament last year, there have been no plans to repeat this year “since all the experienced players left and all the newcomers are still learning,” Yan said. “Now it's just a place to play chess and hang out.”
“I played chess during middle school, but we didn’t have a chess program,” said David Carberra, a junior. “Since Midwood has a chess program, I decided to join it.”
Dr. Stephan Riemersma, better known as Dr. R, is a physics teacher and the advisor for the club. “Many students know that I play chess,” said Dr. Riemersma, who enjoys checking up on the matches between students.
Midwood has over 80 clubs dedicated to almost every interest. They’re a way to show colleges what you do for extracurricular activity. However, they have personal benefits too.
“Chess club has helped me destress from academic pressures,” said Emilio Larios, a senior. “It's been a great experience. I was able to play against others who I don't know, and that helped me find new friends with similar interests.”
“I’ve been going to the chess club since all my friends are there,” said Chende Zhang, a junior. “It’s not only a place to play chess but also a great place to socialize.”
“I love the competitive environment and experiencing the feeling of winning,” said William Li, a junior. “Even if you’re not good at chess, it’s still a great place to be, as getting better at chess is all about repetition and learning from previous games.”
Often the game is not about what your opponent does but rather about the mistake you’ve made. One of the best ways to improve is to analyze your own games and learn from the mistakes you’ve made. “Two years ago I was rating 400 [a lower chess performance level], and now I can face 1600’s,” Li said. “Everyone needs to start somewhere.”
“One of the funniest moments is when you don’t know anything about chess and lose in like three moves,” club member Sunny Wang said.
Even though chess has been around for centuries, the rules have stayed relatively the same since its creation. The strategic elements of chess have attracted millions no matter their skill level. So if you’re ever interested in hitting the grid, come to room A215 on Tuesday during Period 9 and have a “rook” around.