Chess club looks to train kings, queens, not pawns

Chessonline

Chessonline

By Tré Butts

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All is fair in love and war, or at least it is on the chessboard.

The UK Chess Club had its second meeting Thursday evening to welcome new members and to learn new strategies.

UK Chess Club President Lenny Harrison said he hopes to do his part in introducing more people to the game.

“To my knowledge this is the first chess club ever at UK,” Harrison said.

Harrison started playing chess last school year when his friend Brandon Rogers introduced him to the game. Harrison said he wants more UK students to know that chess can be as fun for beginners as it is for experienced players.

“I would go over to Brandon’s apartment and he always had a chess board set up, so we just started playing each other,” Harrison said.

Rogers is one of the UK Chess Club’s more experienced players and has been playing the game since he was a child.

“I’ve known how to set up a board since I was two years old,” Rogers said.

Rogers has more than 20 years of experience, and some chess club members refer to him as “The Wizard.” Rogers also serves as a mentor to club members and gives them different tips on their skills and strategies.

As the club continues to grow this year and in coming years, Harrison eventually wants to discuss the possibility of creating a UK chess team to travel and compete against different universities in the area.

Some members of the club joined so they could learn more about chess and practice their skills against other players.

Member Ethan Hundley has been playing chess since he was in 7th grade.

“I took a ‘how to play’ class when I was in middle school, and I got really into it,” Hundley said. “I won second place out of all the kids in the class when we had a tournament and ever since then I’ve been playing.”

Hundley and Harrison are now roommates, so Hundley often gets to practice with the club president.

“When Lenny told me he was starting the club I thought, ‘Why not?’ and I decided to join,” Hundley said.

Club members said they want anyone who is interested in chess to join, whether they have been playing for their entire lives or they just heard of the game last week.

To join the club, students can contact Harrison through the UK Chess Club’s Twitter page, @UkyChess.