It usually begins with the move of a pawn. You then slowly work your way into winning the thrill of checkmating your opponent’s king. For some, this thrill is what drives them to continue this hobby throughout their schooling like for some on the HEHS chess team, who competed three weeks ago at the IHSA state competition.
“It goes back to when I was around six years old and my dad taught me about chess,” said Richard You, junior. “It was something that I was passionate about until I was a freshman here and I figured that I might as well join and make some new friends.” Ibrahim Uddin, freshman, mentioned that he “used to play in eighth grade and I liked it.”
You and others reflected on the choice to join positively. “We have a great diversity of people, freshman through seniors and no one’s really alienated,” said You about the team.
Uddin agreed. “I like the community and the people, they’re all nice and welcoming,” he said.
A common sense of comradery was contagious surrounding the team’s players.
“I made a lot of friends on the team and got closer to everybody,” said You, delighted to have made more valuable connections with other people in the HEHS community.
“We were really close too,” You continued. “We found a lot of success this year through that family,” elevating the team from not only being a close group, but also using it to their advantage.
The team members also value their coach. “Mr. Swanson is just really friendly and easy to approach,” added Bratindra Thati, senior.
Chess is not only about the team; it is about skill.
“It’s a grind, and everyone on the team is also grinding,” said Thati, in reference to the effort the team puts in. “When you have two people or even more in just the library together, you both get invaluable experience and knowledge from that,” said You. “We were seeded sixteenth in state this year, and we had one of our best seasons yet,” said Thati.
Almost everyone has experienced it, playing one game of chess. Starting with often moving one pawn on your board forward and working toward the end goal of checkmating the opponent’s king. Some people enjoy this prowess and carry it into high school like some people on the HEHS chess team who competed three weeks ago competitively.
