Subtext

NEWS AND OPINION

By Jessica Griffin

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Mar. 24, 2004

Kimara Poindexter of Mr. Reed's sixth-grade chess club plays at Beeber Dimmner Middle School while Steven Statham (back right) and other players from an impromptu chess club look on.

"It's not really a chess club, " says Statham. "We started at the end of last year. Our teacher used to let us play cards during recess, and then we spotted the chessboard in the closet, and we wanted to play. He asked us if we knew how. Some people did, but most of us didn't. The more we played, the more we wanted to play, and we just kind of started staying after school. I used to watch TV after school.

"When I used to see other people play chess, I thought it would be a fun game, but I thought it would take too much to learn it. Once I tried it I got really into it, and I didn't think about how much time it was taking to learn the game. I got into the strategy.

"My dad is glad that I'm playing chess. I mean, he likes to play with me, but he also thinks it will open up opportunities for me. He said that I could get into a good school like Masterman because of chess, that they recruit good players for their school.

"This summer I'm getting a job, but I'll still have time to play chess. There's always time to play chess."

--March 11, 2004