Originating in the India’s Gupta Dynasty during the sixth century, chess has always been a game of strategy and wits. Each move is a calculated play to eliminate opponent pieces and eventually conquer the king.

Through a series of strategic and clever matches, high school players involved in chess demonstrate their skills in tournaments against various schools in high-stakes competitions.

In one of the most recent of these matches, MN competed against Lewis Central in an action-packed contest. The match ended in a win for Millard North, beating Lewis Central by a landslide.

However, the match against Lewis Central is only one of many that go towards securing a win at the Metro Tournament, and later, the State Tournament.

“Our win against Lewis Central was a key milestone toward winning the Metro Tournament,” Chess Club sponsor Jim Stromberg said.

Winning the Metro Tournament isn’t a far-fetched dream for this team of top-notch competitors. MN has won the tournament for the past seven years in a row and the team is striving towards winning again.

The Metro Tournament isn’t where the competition stops either because from there Chess Club competitors move on to competing in the Nebraska State Tournament.

While the number of state tournaments has been sporadic in recent years due to COVID-19, when held, MN has remained steady champions for eight years running. Each chess match won, regardless of size or importance, goes towards keeping the title.

While this group of adept thinkers can often bring home the gold, to call it easy is an understatement. Each week they meet to enhance their skills and play through perplexing scenarios that may occur.

Every single match on the road to State requires an almost painstaking strategy to secure a win. The atmosphere is quiet yet tense, and thrilling for those who understand the subtler aspects of the game.

“There’s a focused energy that you just can’t find anywhere else,” Stromberg said. Everybody gathers to watch masters of the game compete.”

Junior Suthej Kashyap is one of these masters and one of MN’s strongest competitors.

“I thought that generally, as a team and personally, we all played well [at the Lewis Central tournament],” Kashyap said.

Kashyap has been a part of the club since his freshman year, but has been playing the game for much longer than that.

“[I started at] probably about six or seven. My brother was really into it, and he beat me a lot. I wanted to beat him… I really like winning.” Kashyap said.

Kashyap highly values the victory aspect of chess, as he is another one of MN’s top competitors. Kashyap works diligently to hone his strategic skills in order to help procure the win.

However, not everyone shares this same sentiment in Chess Club. Plenty of players come purely for the community and enjoyment the game brings.

Chess acts as a meeting point between all sorts of lifestyles and people, giving them a shared interest and hobby regardless of how competitive, or non-competitive, they wish to be.

Junior David Olson was originally only interested in chess due to the game’s compelling appearance.

“Honestly, it just looked cool,” Olson said. “I enjoyed looking in and watching games, that was fun. But now that I’m playing chess a lot more, I absolutely love the people here. I love the community.”

As his love for the community grew, so did his love for the game. Olson now competes in tournaments and was a key competitor in against Lewis Central.

“It was my first actual game competing, so that felt nice for me. We also won 5-0, which always feels good,” Olson said.

Through practices and competitions, Chess Club has worked diligently to build this atmosphere that cultivates comradery and positivity. The club meets in room 2613 once a week to sharpen each other’s skills, provide feedback and experience, and simply have a good time.

In Chess Club, you can find a mix of masters and novices, upperclassmen with underclassmen, and those looking for competition and those looking for recreation. The club disregards differences and expertise, uniting under a common interest: their love for chess.

An avid chess player himself, Chess Club sponsor Jim Stromberg loves having the club meet in his classroom once a week. He enjoys watching them grow and have fun together.

“I love seeing them challenge themselves to improve with each game.  Most of the time they don’t even realize they are helping each other out,” Stromberg said.

This acclaimed club embraces all, whether you hope to compete in matches and tournaments, make some friends, or learn a little about the game of chess, Chess Club offers a place for everyone to fit in.

Chess Club isn’t just about competition and high-stakes games of chess; it’s about a community that you just can’t find anywhere else.