Hickory Chess Club Embraces Young Members
Charlotte Observer, 12-9-07

For those who've caught the bug, chess is magic.

It can bridge all gaps, including age, background or language, uniting all who fall under its spell in pursuit of a winning combination of moves to checkmate an opponent.

The Hickory Chess Club is proof of that. It counts teachers, professors, attorneys, businessmen and several students among its members.

Ages range from 9 to almost 79, and though there is a variety of skill levels, all are united by the common passion.

But the club added a new element of fun the day William "Will" Campbell, 9, and his sister, Grace Campbell, 13, walked in, said co-founder and former president Larry Robinson of Hickory.

"Their parents brought them over from Statesville because they wanted them to have a chance to play at a higher level, since they felt they had taught them all they could at home," Robinson said.

Now they're a real part of the group, and everybody treats them like family, he added.

According to the U.S. Chess Federation's bi-monthly ratings based on tournament play, Will Campbell in December is the second-rated N.C. player in the Age 9 category and is in 69th place out of 100 in the nation. His sister, Grace, is also a talented player who is moving up in the ratings, and both kids have a box full of chess trophies and medals from their short careers.

The kids' parents, Dalton and Glenda Campbell, homeschool their children and are wholehearted supporters of the game, taking them to scholastic and adult tournaments around the region as well as spending every Tuesday evening at the club.

"We've only gone to one-day tournaments so far," Glenda Campbell said. "We're trying to stay fairly close. We didn't want to push them too far too fast because it's hard work, but they enjoy it, and we want to keep it that way," she said.

"We call it serious fun. If we suggest they skip chess club, we hear about it," Campbell added.

Last Tuesday night, Will Campbell was wearing a suit, hiking shoes and a blaze orange hunting cap when he walked in and immediately took up a game with a newcomer. Members bring their own boards and pieces and set them up when they arrive so there's always a game ready.

In only a short time, Will had lost his first game, then taken on club president Vaughn Dagenhart of Hickory, whom he beat. With a second game under way with Dagenhart, Will then set up a "simul" - chess parlance for playing two or more games simultaneously - with member Denver Owens of North Wilkesboro.

Hands shoved in pockets, Will hopped between tables, keeping up with both opponents and making speedy moves. Soon he had beaten Owens and lost to Dagenhart.

All politely shook hands and thanked one another for a good match. Toward the end of the evening, Will was organizing a three-way simul with Owens, Dagenhart and new member Eris Allen of Marion.

According to Glenda Campbell, her children started playing chess about two years ago with friends in their homeschool club and were quickly sold on it.

"Will soon got frustrated because he didn't like being beat all the time," she said. "He got motivated from that. Now [he and Grace] play some every day. Will plays with his dad or his sister or sets up games by himself, or sometimes they'll join forces and play two on one, to see if two heads really are better than one."

Campbell credits chess with giving her children confidence. "You just really meet a wide variety of people with a wide variety of backgrounds, and that's really good for the kids, since the world seems to be shrinking so rapidly," she said.

The Hickory Chess Club meets every Tuesday at the C.O. Miller Teen Center beside the Hickory Foundation YMCA, and members are happy to welcome anyone who wants to drop by for a game, including those who just want to learn how to play.

Robinson - an energetic retired attorney - started the club in 2000 with friend Mike Mitelman, who has since retired and moved away.

"I've always thought a town like Hickory should have a chess club, and it didn't, so we took it on ourselves to start one," Robinson said.

After meeting in Robinson's basement for several years, the club met briefly at the Y, then moved to Lenoir-Rhyne until two years ago, when the Y's new Teen Center offered them a meeting room.

"It was the perfect space," Robinson said.

To  learn more: The club meets from 5 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday at the C.O. Miller Teen Center beside the Hickory Foundation YMCA, 701 First St. N.W. For information on the Hickory Chess Club, call Larry Robinson at 828-322-1493, or visit www.hickorychessclub.org.