Taha Khan was about four when his mom taught him the game. He contemplates which piece should be positioned, whether there is a hidden tactic or an upcoming attack will be on the right flank. All of these thoughts, complicated as they may be, clash each week between two players, sitting at a table with their backs hunched. Every Wednesday after school, Kaden Luu and Taha Khan battle on a sixty-four square board, eyeing down the prize: the king.
“It’s a good learning experience! It helps your brain,” exclaimed Kaden Luu who is a freshman. He joined the club this year. He learned about the club when he met Taha, assembling his table at the Club Fair at Colt Court. Soon enough, the two were keeping track of their wins.
The club hopes to go beyond playing games; Taha has plans to improve the club by participating in tournaments; similar to his childhood experience, he competed in tournaments in the past and enjoyed the moments when he led his competition into traps and blindsided them. His goal is to host fundraisers, and car washes to raise money for tournament entries.
Kaden has his own ideas about encouraging other students to participate. He plans to post flyers around the school, including information about the tournaments plans to participate in.
Taha also thinks the club needs more recruiters; when asked why other students should participate in the chess club, Taha argues that the game is fantastic to improve mental agility. “It stimulates your brain. It encourages you to think.” To attract potential members, there have been announcements on Logan Live that if there are enough players, a gift card would be rewarded to the victor.
Chess can be an intimidating game to learn for newcomers. The thought of staring at a board for extended periods of time may sound like a talent instead of a skill. Taha, however, has taught other friends how to play. In the first meeting, Taha was a leading instructor who enjoys teaching others how to play. There are also chess books that are helpful for newcomers to learn.
The Chess Club is new to the Logan campus this year; its founder hopes is that it grows from a seed to a flower, metaphorically speaking. “I periodically played tournaments,” Taha said, hoping he can do that in the future years of his life.
