64 black and white squares, 32 pieces and infinite variations of tactics are perfect ways to describe the game of chess. Through all the strategic planning and unwavering passion, chess lovers have found a home at the Northwood Chess Club.
Chess has come a long way from being a tactical simulation to becoming one of the world’s most popular games, played by people of all ages from every corner of the world. The chess club at Northwood, historically one of the larger clubs on campus, works to build a positive environment that uplifts players in the community and encourages youth participation in chess.
“We’re trying to promote chess not only to high school students but also to elementary schools as well,” club president senior Andrew Qian said. “I believe that it’s not only beneficial to have that curiosity, but chess provides a lot of life lessons like organization, planning and all that good stuff.”
After the pandemic, Chess Club, like many other clubs, experienced a dip in participation. The new board of the club decided to ramp up activities both inside and outside the school, providing opportunities for club members to attend tournaments together as a group and volunteer to spread the game of chess to various communities. Recently, the Chess Club also established a league to have tournaments among other schools in Orange County.
“This year we decided to take it up a notch by giving lectures from experienced players teaching all stages of the game,” publicist junior Michael Tran said. “We have big plans for next year in terms of competition and events at the county level in coordination with other high schools in our county.”
In the future, the Chess Club seeks to grow its numbers and hopes to offer club members chances to not only learn about chess, but more frequent opportunities to compete in competitions along with expanding their own league to include many more high schools around Orange County.
“Chess is a sport that anyone can play,” Qian said. “No matter who you are, where you’re from or what you’re dealing with, you can always enjoy and excel in the game of chess as long as you have a passion.”
