Chess is a board game in which two players compete against each other using strategy and patience. After evolving from similar, much older Indian games, the modern form of the game emerged in Southern Europe during the second half of the 15th century. 

Chess is one of the most popular games in the world today, with millions of people playing it. At Archbishop Riordan High School, the Chess Club is run by president Jameson Datoc ’23, who started chess in kindergarten and was introduced to it by his grandfather. 

Datoc described how he started playing, saying, “Because of the pandemic I grew distant from friends and one way to get tougher and talk is by playing chess.”

The Chess Club has 10 to 15 students attending their meeting every week, Wednesdays in room 203. They just got a donation of 20 brand new chess boards from the Archdiocese of San Francisco, with the possibility of more on the way, which would facilitate more members who can play at once.  

Since the Chess Club  is a brand new club at Riordan, they were limited to resources at the beginning. As the year continued, they started to get more and more funds and items for their club. As the club grows with more members, they are able to participate in events or trips. 

Datoc said, “Some goals of the chess club are making it a larger club and create the impact on the Riordan community, to teach new players how to play both casual chess and tournament chess, study chess games, learn chess openings and strategies, teach sportsmanship which is a big part about playing chess, reach out to local schools and teach grade school kids how to play chess.” 

With 15 members, they are looking for more people who are interested and willing to learn and play chess. Edward Ramos ’23 said, “Some of my goals for the Chess Club are to develop my chess skills and also to help the younger generations and other kids develop their skills.”      

“Chess is not a game for ‘smart’ people, it’s for everyone,” Datoc said. “Chess should be a safe place because people don’t talk while playing chess. They think. They analyze. And they discuss with their fellow club members what they should do.” 

To students of Riordan, chess is a fun, extra activity and hobby that they can do for free.  Datoc said all Crusaders who are interested in joining the chess club, should not hesitate to join. 

“If you’re not into regular chess, there is speed chess, casual chess, and chess puzzles,” Datoc said, adding, “We are planning to go to different schools that are close to Riordan to teach grade students how to play chess.” 

“Chess is not a game for ‘smart’ people, it’s for everyone,” Datoc said. “Chess should be a safe place because people don’t talk while playing chess. They think. They analyze. And they discuss with their fellow club members what they should do.”