New Beaverton Chess Club! Join us for our first meeting on March 2

#ChesswithCoachLarry

Chess in Beaverton is booming. You can see chess players meeting and playing at cafes, libraries, bars and schools. I asked them why there is no Beaverton Chess Club where all chess players can get together and play. They said it’s a good idea, why don’t YOU start one? Me and my big mouth! When will I learn when to keep my mouth shut!

After spending days checking on where we could have a chess club, Holy Trinity Catholic School stepped up and on Thursday, March 2 the Beaverton Chess Club will have its first meeting. We will meet every Thursday, 5pm to 9pm. It will be open to everyone who plays chess or wants to learn. We hope to start having rated chess tournaments in April.

It will be a great place for kids to get together and ask chess questions. Hopefully older adults will share their chess knowledge with the younger chess players. We want to one day hold large tournaments of 100-200 players.

We will reach out to area schools to set up chess matches and start chess clubs at their schools. One of our goals will be to improve the playing strength of the kids to win at the yearly chess championship at Seaside. It’s the largest tournament held in Oregon every year. We want to help local students win at state and the Beaverton Chess Club will do that.

If you are a chess player or know a chess player, please stop in and play a game or two. If your child has a chess club at their school, please pass on the information about the Beaverton Chess Club.

Why learn chess? Simple: It’s a great mental workout that helps children perform well in the classroom. Chess is a logical game where kids have to plan ahead and adjust to new situations. But most of all, it’s fun!

Larry Ball (Coach Larry) teaches students of all ages at the Steinitz Chess Academy in Beaverton. For more information, email Larry at larryball48@yahoo.com.