The game of chess goes back almost a thousand years, and is still as popular as ever. Sahuaro Geometry and Algebra teacher, Mr. Joshua Warren, is beginning an after-school chess club, open to everybody, new and old to the game.

Mr. Warren has played chess almost his entire life, and coached chess for seven years at Sunnyside High School, receiving third place in their fifth competing year. In beginning this club, Warren hopes to bring chess to a new generation who may be unfamiliar to the game or seasoned veterans. This is a priority to Mr. Warren.

His favorite part about chess is the social aspect of it. “The most enjoyable thing to me has been meeting so many new people and bonding over a love for the game.” This reflects in his goals for the club: a social club for anybody interested in learning and playing chess, or being with others who enjoy the game. The competitive aspect of chess is not the goals main club starting out, but it could be in the future. Competing, however, would require more people willing to participate. If that were to happen, Warren reassures that the club would still stay open to everybody. Math also incorporates its way into chess, with the board’s grid layout, the critical thinking needed, and strategy involved in planning your moves ahead. Warren has been encouraging all of his Geometry and Algebra students to join as well. The Sahuaro Chess Club will meet every Tuesday and Thursday after school in room 331 from 3:30-4:30.

There are already a few members who are new and old to the game, but the club could always use fresh faces. “With more people, we can have more games and more players to compete against each other, as well as the possibility of going to competitive events,” Mr. Warren says.