At our school, chess club is a popular after-school activity. Albuquerque Academy has a middle school team and a high school chess team, who compete against other schools. The 6/7 club meets after school at 3:45 p.m., and it usually goes till 5:00 in Dr. Wilkinson’s room.
. The 6-7 chess club has around 20 members. Most of the members on the team are advanced, having played a lot on Chess.com, with a tutor, or just for fun. There are in total 20 boards. The boards are your ranking in the team. Most members take chess very seriously and really try to play their best. All members give 110%, and don’t give up when playing, which has paid off, and lead them to win their most recent tournament.
Some of the members of the team are Susheer Paladugu ‘29, Mark Goldman ‘29, and Krish Satish ‘29. Arman Vahab ‘28, another member of the club, said “most people think chess is just moving pieces and just hoping you did something good.” He said ”Chess is not just you moving pieces, but using your brain, math skills, and strategic thinking,” even if it “involves strategic thinking which takes time to develop and isn’t an easy process.” Still, this process can be very exciting
. According to many members, the coaches, Christan Von Hunne and Orlando Leyba, an 8-12 art teacher, aren’t strict, and instead are really fun. They often teach new gimmicks and techniques to the club, and bring pizza to reward the team for winning tournaments and their other achievements. The advisors work hard to try to get members interested in chess, so they can enjoy the game and succeed at their tournaments. The other members are always willing to help you get better by pointing out what you did well and what you could improve upon in your gameplay. In all, the 6/7 chess club provides many students with a great opportunity to learn and have fun. It’s an exciting team to join and support.