Chess Club, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30, is a year-round club in which players from all experience levels can come together and bond over either a game they’ve loved for a long time or a game they just picked up for the first time that afternoon. Mr. Warren sponsors the Chess Club, but Ms. Knippen is filling in currently. The goal for Chess Club is to just have fun, and for newcomers to learn the game. There is talk of playing against other schools in competitions but that’ll be discussed further down the line. There are only 3 consistent members of Chess Club: Logan Russell, Aiden Miller, and Vincent Lescarbeau.
Logan Russell, Chess Club president, is a sophomore and has been a member since last year. He’s been playing chess for about 3 years and started because he “thought it was a fun hobby to have and it also boosts strategical thinking.” He can be a casual or competitive player, depending on who he plays. A few weeks back, he entered a chess tournament, and even though he didn’t win, he still thought it was a fun time and would 100% enter one again. Logan says, “Chess has helped shape me into the person I am today.” He leisurely watches national chess matches and thinks it would be a great experience but also isn’t realistic. Logan plans to continue Chess Club throughout high school. Logan is not the only one in his family who is a chess fanatic, his younger twins are too! His younger brother started his very own chess club over at La Paloma Central. Unfortunately, Logan beat his little sister so many times in chess, that she refuses to play anymore, but he suspects she’ll get over it soon. Outside of chess club, Logan has many hobbies, some of which consist of gaming, he likes to play FPS and platformer games. He is also in cosplay club and wants to continue it for the next few years, claiming he “would make a great maid.”
Aiden Miller is also a sophomore and has also been a member since last year. He claims that he has NEVER missed a meeting and shows up even more than the president. He’s been playing chess on and off for the past 7 years since about 4th grade. He claims to be an “extremely casual player.” He’s never entered a chess competition but would consider it. Regarding nationals, he has no interest in it. He picked up chess as a hobby out of boredom. When he was younger, he used to play against his older sister Quinn. Outside of chess, he also lifts and partakes in bodybuilding. Last year he was also in wrestling, he isn’t doing it this year but it’s a future possibility. He thinks that “if you read The Art of War, you will understand enough to be decent at chess.” After high school, he wants to go to either Penn State or ASU. He has good grades and chess doesn’t tamper with them. He plans to move back to Arizona if he goes to an out-of-state college.
Vincent Lescarbeau is a sophomore just like his friends. Prior to this meeting, Vincent had only played one game of chess before, which he won! He says he would never enter a chess tournament but then again this was his first meeting, so, we’ll see. He plans on continuing Chess Club and playing chess in college. For college, he’s aiming for U of A. But after that, he’s heading east to Florida. He states, “Chess is fun when you’re with the right people, and when you’re not, it can be boring.” He has a younger sister Lexi, who’s a freshman, and he is currently trying to convince her to join Chess Club. Outside of Chess Club, he’s also in Culinary Club, and sometimes attends the Cosplay Club meetings. He also participates in DND and airsoft. He doesn’t wish to comment on his grades but wants us to know that chess doesn’t affect them.
They’re looking for more people to join, so, come on down! Just try it out. Logan and Aiden both said that last year, Chess Club had lots more people, a little community, and some would even say it was a bit like a family. There is currently no word on a consistent sponsor. Courtesy of Aiden, they made an Instagram! Go follow them at shs.chess_club
