Checkmate: Strategic Students Start Chess Club on Campus

On any given day, you might catch Governors State University Biology sophomore, Nicholas Parente, and IDSS senior, Keyston Franklin, playing chess in the GSU cafeteria. To passers-by, their game may appear tranquil, but when asked to describe it, the students compared the match to a “rollercoaster.”

For them, the excitement of the game lies in its variability. Parente says, “The pieces must always move in the same assigned directions, but it’s possible to have a million different outcomes.”

That’s what makes chess an excellent tool for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The students’ appreciation for chess inspired them to establish a campus Chess Club, which meets casually every other Friday from 3-5 p.m. in the cafeteria. Often they find passers-by want to spontaneously join in the game of strategy.

What they have discovered is that many Jaguars enjoyed chess at one point in their lives, but stopped playing for one reason or another.

The Chess Club seeks to reignite that passion and foster a sense of community on campus.

To join, search on the Jaguar Connection for Chess Club, or drop by the cafeteria on a Friday afternoon for a silent, but thrilling game of chess.