Chess Club Makes Its Move

On Saturday, March 2, the Oberlin College Chess Club (OCCC) hosts a United States Chess Federation-rated G/30—a game in which each player gets 30 minutes on his or her clock. There is no entry fee for Oberlin College students; just send an e-mail to OChess@oberlin.edu.

It was just last spring that sophomores Kalind Parish and Ali Amiri brought the chess club back to life from a decade of inactivity. The club had been flourishing in the mid-90s, says club advisor Constantine Ananiadis, holding events and inviting to campus such famous chess players as Josh Waitzkin and Maurice Ashley. Then, for whatever reason, the activity died down. 

For the past year, the club has worked to get back on its feet by organizing weekly public games held on Friday afternoons on Wilder Bowl and in Slow Train Café. At times, says Parish, more than 50 people have shown up to compete. “It’s been really fun,” says Parish. “It’s shown us that there’s a lot of enthusiasm on campus.”

Read more about the club and check out the OCCC Facebook page.