Checkmate! The Chess Club Pairs Fun with Benefits

Samantha Jackson - October 2nd, 2023

Have you ever considered joining the Chess Club? Everyday in room D204, the Chess Club is open to people who want to play a competitive game, play a fun game with friends, discuss chess, or just sit and watch other people play. Mr. Jensen, the advisor to the Chess Club, is an avid chess player who loves to see students so excited to play.

The Chess Club seems very relaxed, but as soon as tournament season hits, the students' determination and intent is shown bright as day. Once the season hits, students begin participating in games nearly everyday, learning new opening moves or endgame moves. Last year, the Chess Tournament started in late february and finished near the last week of school! Any students, whether they are in the Chess Club or not, are able to participate in the tournament.

Not only is the Chess Club amazing for making connections with peers, it also has academic benefits. Students who play chess are proven to do 5-10% better on math assessments. And students who participate in chess tournaments? They show not only a 50% increase in math scores, but also 15% increase in reading as well. Who would have thought that such a fun activity could also be so educational?

Of course, most students enjoy Chess Club because of its inviting environment. One student, who shall remain anonymous, said that they “weren’t sure that they wanted to stay in Chess Club, but all of the friendly faces convinced them to join”. Other students enjoy the Chess Club because chess can be a very good game to enhance your memory and perceptive abilities.

The Chess Club is open to anyone, so if you are interested in checking it out, just stop by room D204 any day at lunch. This year, Mr. Jensen got new chess sets, and one of them is dinosaur themed!