Clarke Central High School Chess Club sponsor Christian Cordon, stands in the CCHS Competition Gym on Feb. 10. Cordon became the club’s sponsor during the 2020-21 school year and led the team to victory at the 11th annual Chess and Community Conference on March 23, 2024. “Two years ago, Cedar Shoals High School got first (place) and we got second. Last year, we got first and they got second. This year, we hope to get both of our teams on the podium,” CCHS Chess Team member Grayson Krause, a senior, said. Photo from the ODYSSEY archives
The CCHS Chess Club offers students the opportunity to learn how to play the game and improve their critical thinking abilities.
The Clarke Central High School Chess Club is open to students in all grade levels and meets after school on Mondays and Fridays. At these meetings, new additions to the club can learn how to play chess and returning members practice to hone their technical and critical thinking skills.
CCHS Chess Club sponsor Christian Cordon also coaches the CCHS Esports Chess Team and has since its creation at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. The team is made up of four players who compete against different high schools across the state in online esports matches every Tuesday in the CCHS Media Center.
“I used to play chess when I was in school. For me, participating in the tournaments against other teams was always fun, so I wanted to recreate (that) same experience for students (at CCHS),” Cordon said.
CCHS Chess Team member Grayson Krause, a senior, has been in the club since the 2022-23 school year after learning how to play the game during Winter Break.
“For a personal coding project, I wanted to make a Chess (Robot), but quickly realized that if I wanted to teach a computer to play chess, I would have to learn to play first,” Krause said. “After a week or two of playing, I developed a passion for (it), joined the team, and have played ever since.”
“It’s very easy for an activity like chess to become unapproachable and (for interests to) die due to a lack of (experience) in younger students, (but) we try to maintain a fun and light-hearted atmosphere during meetings.”
— Grayson Krause,
CCHS Chess Team member and senior
Krause says the CCHS Chess Club offers a sense of community to all of its members, and both he and Cordon encourage CCHS students to attend the club’s meetings.
“We want students to get exposure to (chess because) some of the kids don’t know how to play, (but we’re) playing against good players,” Cordon said. “That has been difficult this semester, trying to focus on (creating a space) for new students to come and play but also paying attention to prepping the team (for matches).”
In the future, the CCHS Chess Team plans to participate in the 12th annual Chess and Community Conference on March 29, which starts at 9 a.m. and takes place at The Classic Center.
“A huge priority for us is getting freshmen and sophomores interested and included in Chess Club activities,” Krause said. “It’s very easy for an activity like chess to become unapproachable and (for interests to) die due to a lack of (experience) in younger students, (but) we try to maintain a fun and light-hearted atmosphere during meetings to make sure we don’t seem like an exclusive club, but a friendly hobby group.”
