NDA’s Chess Club is in full swing, with the year-end tournament of the “highest rated players” just starting.

This year, there are two teams, each led by a senior captain, one being Owen Martzke and the other AJ Berndt.

These captains set up the matchups for the week at the beginning of each meeting, with each match being worth a certain number of points.

The team that accumulates more points that week wins.

For the less experienced players who want to have fun, there are learning matches that do not count.

“I’m there to teach as the members need and request,” said Mr. Greg Geiser.

Geiser, along with instructing, is the moderator who schedules, communicates and organizes for the Chess Club.

“I try to keep things on track and give the members space to compete at the level they are comfortable with and have fun while doing it,” said Geiser. “I also teach the less experienced players if they want that.”

This year, they have attracted 40 total members, with 20 of them being pretty active.

James Kanning, a senior, joined his freshman year because he felt the need to be involved in things at school and the “Chess Club was both an easy and fun way to do that.”

“The things I enjoy are playing and winning in chess, obviously, and also spending time with Mr. Geiser and the others in the club,” said Kanning. “It’s a great group of people and great way to spend some time on a given afternoon.”

Andrew Nguyen, a freshman, decided to participate in the club “to meet people who shared the same interest in chess as I do and create a nice circle of amazing chess peers.”

“I wanted to have fun playing chess against people who can play well and challenge me on different aspects of the game,” said Nguyen.

And he has had fun learning “that serious chess players can transform into feudal lords during a game, but after it is all said and done, they are very friendly people.”

Nguyen remarked about how the “atmosphere” really is something he appreciates because “its level of competitiveness during a game isn’t so high that it takes the enjoyment out of chess, but it isn’t so low that people wouldn’t take chess seriously.”

It may seem that you have to be experienced in chess to join the club, but Mr. Geiser wants all students to know you do not have to be good or even have played chess before–all levels are welcome.