Rolling Hills Library will launch its first-ever chess
tournament on Saturday, June 8, featuring a U.S. Chess Federation-rated section
and an open section for all ages and skill levels who are not USCF members.
The first of four rounds, Swiss style, of this free
tournament begin at 10 a.m. in the Belt Branch Upper Story, 1906A N. Belt.
Doors will open at 9 a.m. for players to register if they have not done so
already at events.rhcl.org/event/10041386. USCF memberships can be purchased on
site if needed.
Awards will be handed out at 5 p.m. and consist of first,
second and third place medals for each section with an additional prize for
first place in each section.
Bridgid Reeves, the library’s technology services
librarian, is planning for the tournament to be an annual event. She began
thinking about having a tournament after taking over the library’s Chess and
Checkers Club in 2017.
The club had a core group of dedicated members who
gathered to talk chess and play games, she said. When the pandemic hit in 2021
and forced the library to suspend public programs and events, participation
declined and thoughts of a tournament were shelved.
Now a few years after the pandemic’s high point,
participation in the chess club has grown, and Reeves is planning on making the
tournament an annual event.
“Chess teaches you how to focus and think creatively,”
she said. “It helps to develop problem solving skills and how to think calmly
and carefully and consider the consequences of your actions. And it brings
people together and fosters a sense of community and even cooperation.
“It seemed to me that sharing this hobby, or sport depending on who you ask, would be a great addition to the community as a whole.”
