Chess Club: A safe place for students to come together, have fun, learn about both chess and each other, eat some snacks, and it’s run by our very own Mr. Retan what’s there not to love?

“About two years ago the show The Queen’s Gambit was real popular and I heard students talking about chess a lot in school,” the proprietor of chess club, Mr. Retan said. “I played chess with my son when he was younger and always enjoyed it. I thought it would be fun to have a place for students in our school to play chess and learn the game.”
Mr. Retan, who is a math teacher in our school, started Chess Club to provide a space for students to find others who shared the same passions so they could learn and grow together.
“It’s always fun to see students meet up here that might have never met up in different contexts in our school,” Retan said.
To the uninitiated chess might seem complex, each piece has its own rules and movement opportunities, however for those doubting their abilities Retan is in a similar position but instead of being held back by it, it empowers him to continue playing in hope to eventually master the game.
“It’s not too bad to learn the rules of chess and how the pieces move, but it’s a very hard game to master, so that’s what I like about it,” Retan explained.
The Inner Workings of Chess Club
When you step in Retan’s door you might see some students already deeply concentrating on beating their opponent, but you will also see peers who are very willing to help you learn the game if you’re new or haven’t played it at all like me. Retan also provides snacks and drinks for the players for maximum enjoyment and comfort.
“A lot of the weeks we come together, I have the chess board set out and students randomly pair up with others and start playing pretty much immediately,” Retan said. “I always have snacks sitting out… there is usually time for students to play at least two or three games so they switch partners and play other people.”
For those thinking that just playing chess week after week might get boring don’t worry Retan has a solution for you.
“We play a thing called ‘bug house’, it’s a team chess game… you play with a partner and you can have a tonne of fun playing even if you’re not that good at regular chess. It’s fast paced and that’s one of the favorite things that students play,” Retan said.
Since Chess Club became an officially endorsed club this year Retan has all kinds of interesting ideas for what Chess Club could become, including in school tournaments for those participating in chess club, and potentially going to professional chess tournaments. Overal,l chess club is on the rise for the next couple of years so now is a better time than ever to get invested, have fun, and meet new friends that share the same interests or passions as you.