Every Tuesday and Thursday right after school, the JROTC teacher Sgt. Major Frederick Ramie , invites everyone from beginners to masters to the Chess Club. A small but dedicated group meets up in room 7-109, the JROTC room, to play chess against one another, and hone each other’s chess skills. Moreover, there are many active players in the club.  In addition to being active players, almost all players have International Chess Federation ratings, meaning they are ranked players in the state, and have placed in online or in person tournaments before. Recently, some members of the chess team competed in a tournament against Hagerty High School; WSHS members placed first and second with a Hagerty player placing third. In the future, the competitive chess team hopes to expand the team so they can participate in more chess team tournaments. 

Turning to the routine of the Chess Club, the President of the Chess Club, Isaac Pines, is an advanced chess player who begins the club by setting up members with similar ratings against each other. During the game, each player annotates; therefore, the players can go back and review how they played and learn each other’s mistakes. Afterward, all players go over chess puzzles – “puzzles” is where a person tries to find the best move. Chess puzzles aid members in improving tactical thinking. In addition, it improves the player’s memory, and makes players think more 3 dimensional – thinking ahead instead of only thinking of an immediate move. Generally, players do 5-10 puzzles a day depending on the complexity of the puzzle, and how many moves ahead the player has to think. Another part of the mundane routine of the Chess Club includes reviewing games of chess grandmasters; learning from players more experienced than one teaches players how to play more precisely. An equally important aspect includes getting familiar with other members- creating a safe space for all. Coach Ramie encourages everyone from the most novice player to a grandmaster to join the Chess Club.