On Saturday, Jan. 10, the Chess Club held a tournament in Brighton High School’s media center. There was a total of 12 people there from different schools, including senior Bradley Schwab and freshman Mason Karber from Brighton. The tournament consisted of five matches with ten-minute time limits for each player. It was split up into two brackets with six people in each. Thanks to Ms. Diane Schandevel, BHS’s Chess Club advisor, the event ran smoothly, and everyone had a great time.
“I truly believe that these tournaments create great friendships with players from a wide array of schools with similar interests,” Schwab said.
The Chess Club is open to everyone who is interested in joining, regardless of their skill level. Chess isn’t just for people who are good at it. New players are always welcome, and members emphasize that improvement comes with practice and experience. Advanced players encourage beginners to participate and to be patient, since it takes time to learn and master it.
When asked if he would rather win by checkmate or win because his opponent ran out of time, Schwab said, “I would definitely say checkmate. That moment when everything you planned works out in the end—it feels great!”
Checkmate is when a player’s king is under attack and can’t make any more legal moves to escape. Running out of time in this tournament could happen when one of the players ran out of their ten minutes of playtime, which happens a lot. Checkmate is viewed as more of an accomplishment since it relies on a player’s skill and effort put into each match.
In the end, the tournament offered not just an opportunity for people to show off their chess skills and compete for victory but also to bond over a shared interest. From the intense matches to the laughs shared between players, participants walked away with new friendships. As interest in chess continues to increase, the Chess Club hopes that more students will pick up a piece and make their move.
