DECATUR, Ill. — Jacob Schniepp likes chess because it's a battle game.
"It's like a medieval war," the Lutheran School Association seventh-grader said.
He's a member of the school's new chess club, which meets on Monday afternoons in the school's science lab and is open to any student from fourth grade up.
Not too many of the high school students and very few girls have shown interest so far, said Howard Brown, who coaches the club, but he hopes that will change.
"I guess I've always been interested in chess, and my daughter-in-law suggested I come over to the LSA and start a chess club, so that's what I did," Brown said.
Students prefer to just play games, Brown said, as opposed to sitting through chess lessons, but he sometimes gives them chess problems to solve or puts one up on the wall for them to figure out together.
"Like other intellectual activities, like music and math and English, I think it's just a good thing to help the juvenile mind, especially, mature," said Brown, who has been playing since college, though he learned the game as a child,
ADVANCE FOR USE SUNDAY, MAY 6 AND THEREAFTER - In this photo taken April 30, 2012, Jonathan Brown, 10, proclaims checkmate while playing Sarah Hicks, 10, during a chess club meeting at the Lutheran School Association in Decatur, Ill. The first meeting for the new chess club was held on Feb. 27. (AP Photo/Herald & Review, Jim Bowling)
"I've been trying different things, chess problems and playing through a game or two," he said. "Most of the time, I just print copies of what I need and hand them out."
"Like other intellectual activities, like music and math and English, I think it's just a good thing to help the juvenile mind, especially, mature," said Brown, who has been playing since college, though he learned the game as a child,
Some of the students have special permission to miss track practice on Mondays in order to attend chess club and while conversation was lively at some boards, most of the youngsters were bent over their battles with great concentration. Brown moved among them, watching the games and giving the occasional comment, but otherwise allowing them to figure it out for themselves.
Sixth-graders Jared Gregory and Eric Shelton played deliberately, considering moves carefully before letting go of their pieces. Jared had lost several pawns but Eric had lost a queen, a rook and a bishop. He was bloodied but unbowed, and when Jared said he was "way ahead," Eric shook his head. He was not ready to concede that point.
Sarah Hicks said her father taught her to play. She was the only girl at Monday's meeting. She and fourth-grade classmate Jonathan Brown battled it out.
"When I'm (playing) black, I mostly win," Jonathan said without taking his eyes from the board.
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Information from: Herald & Review, http://www.herald-review.com