Clarence Chess Club Returns to Regional Competition, Builds Community

As Clarence High School’s Chess Club returned to a regional competition for the first time in more than a decade, those around the club say they are building community as well as their in-game skills during their play.

“It’s nice to meet other people who are as interested in the game as I am,” said Isabell Siradas, a sophomore at the High School. “It gives you more confidence to play with different people.”

This school year, Clarence is competing in the Upstate New York Interscholastic Chess Leagues, taking part in Buffalo League 1 with teams from Niagara Falls, Nichols School and Buffalo Academy of Science along with a Buffalo Home School team. The district’s participation stems from growing interest from students in playing the game since 2021, according to Andrew Johnston, the club’s adviser.

“There were a number of kids I never thought would play chess, but they were definitely into it,” he said.

Many members of the club learned to play in games with family, while others, including Johnston, learned to play through online games and tutorials. In addition to casual games that broke out during study hall periods, the club began holding competitions and tournaments, including games with teachers playing against students.

“Once students hear one of the teachers is interested, they’ll seek them out to play them,” Johnston said.

The District’s return to the league for the first time since 2008 came after Johnston was contacted by the Rochester Chess Center. In the first few matches of the season, Johnston said students have responded well to the challenges of competition. Sophomore Anthony Kreymer said the regional matches give him incentive to improve his play.

“It gave me the motivation to play even more chess,” he said.

Playing chess has been found to have a wide range of positive benefits, according to the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, including helping children overcome a fear of risk-taking, improving concentration and self-discipline and developing problem-solving skills.

Ethan Jonas, a junior, said he thought about chess when it came to the cause and effects of different parts of his life.

“I compare things to chess in my day to day all the time,” said junior Ethan Jonas. “It really just helps me figure out what’s happening in my life and what I want to do with it.”

As the season has progressed, Johnston said more students have visited the library to express their interest in the club and playing casual and competitive games. Johnston noted the benefits of students connecting through the game.

“That’s the heart of the club,” he said. “It’s bringing together students that may not otherwise be together.”

More information about the league can be found at https://nychess.org/league/.