"Third Annual Mat-Su Chess Classic, photo courtesy of Caroline Huling"
Mat-Su Chess Classic: How the Pieces Start Moving
Contributed by Samuel Hada
“Nobody knows, even roughly, how many people play chess, and nobody should pretend to know” (Edward Winter, chesshistory.com) but in 2012 some pretended to roughly know that it was double the population of the United States of America, minus New York City. Using that number, one sixth of chess players are on Chess.com, and 0.0001 percent are using Lichess, the vast majority play in person, including those unknown beyond the suspected six hundred million.
Often the first people that one learns chess from is family. Hikaru Nakamura is one of the top chess players in the world as of the writing of this essay, and he started learning from his brother and sister. Hikaru has since set a world record for winning the most “bullet” games in an hour, as well as winning the most Titled Tuesday tournaments of anybody, and all of it started with the most fundamental community, that of family.
The greatest chess player of the current generation is Magnus Carlsen:
He captured the world number-one ranking in 2011 and still hasn’t let go of it as of May 2023. He won the world title in 2013 and has successfully defended it four times (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021). Additionally, he has won multiple world titles in rapid and blitz time controls, achieved the highest rating ever, and racked up several elite tournament wins, including four Norway Chess victories and seven in Wijk aan Zee. (Chess.com)
And where did his chess journey begin? With Henrik Carlsen, his father, and with the encouragement of the rest of his family. For a while they traveled together, going to various tournaments throughout Norway, but now Magnus has stepped out into his own. He has played in chess tournaments in Asia, Europe, America, and Africa. He continues to pursue the game that he learned to love from his father.
Back in 2023 Palmer Chess Club hosted their second ever tournament, the Mat-Su Chess Classic, they had a turnout of twenty-six participants from all ages. One of the youngest competitors, Henry Rockey, said that he “learned from his grandpa and older brother” (Amber Godin, People’s Paper, May 2023) his first opponent, Casey Hendrickson, had “started learning chess through YouTube with the help of his dad” (Ibid.). Both people had started with the family unit and were now stepping out into another community, one that built and grew on the foundations that were laid by their families.
Now it is 2024, and the 3rd Annual Mat-Su Chess Classic just came and went. On April 27th twenty-six players gathered once again, some old, some new, some local, and some as far away as Fairbanks to compete in the royal game. There were a few returning players, but the majority were all new faces, putting their opponent’s skills to the test, and being tested themselves. After each game they would shake hands, report the results, and many of them stepped out of the room to talk about key moments in their game, discussing with their opponent ways to improve, or admiring the clever traps that were played. Everyone walked away with an appreciation for the acquaintances they had just met, and for those whose friendships were further strengthened.
Anthony Irsik, one of the club leaders, was pleased with the outcome, it was his first time organizing the tournament. “The guy who founded the club, Lehvi Minder, was an important part of my life, and it was a blessing to see a community he started thriving” (Personal Interview). Anthony Irsik has been a part of the Palmer Chess Club since it was started back in 2021 “Lehvi stressed the idea of the community when it came to the club. . . we have had a few people come in and play who really benefited from some time playing some friendly chess” (Ibid.). He went on to talk about how some of the players use their time at the club to remember and honor their parents, who were the ones that initially showed and taught them chess. It has also been an opportunity for people to come together who would never have met otherwise, and that they are all the better for it.
If you have been wanting to be a part of something like this, the Palmer Chess Club meets every Tuesday night from 5:30 to 8:00pm at 203 Kombucha in Palmer Alaska. There is no sign in or entry fee, all are welcome and encouraged to come and play a few games at their leisure. If you have more questions, you can contact them through email: palmerchessclub@gmail.com or through their Facebook page: Palmer Chess Club.