By Lynna Huo ’15, Staff Writer

It is the end of another long day of academic classes at Newark Academy, and students of all different grades beeline towards their lockers. Most middle school students then head for their afternoon sports. Most sports are ‘showy’ and easily recognizable for what they are- physically and mentally competitive. However, there are some types of sports which do not require a large playing field or a ton of expensive equipment to be just as demanding. Situated in the furthest reaches of the middle school hallway, a group of middle-schoolers work tirelessly to improve their strategic abilities in a game which always challenges their endurance and wit.

“What many people don’t realize is that chess can be a sport, too…we have chess trainers the same way other sports have coaches, and we strive just as hard as anybody else does to get better at it,” says Michael Lim; sixth grader at Newark Academy. It’s true- the middle school chess club, formed under the guidance of Humanities teacher and former Middle School principal Mr. Ball, is just as active and involving as the better-recognized sports activities of NA. All middle school students have access to the chess room when middle school sports drop. Only a few dedicated players, however, will join the club. Once they do, they are apt to become involved in a whole new range of challenges, from the common one-on-one chess face-offs to official tournaments.

“Chess is an art; while it has set rules and tactics, people who truly love the game realize that there is something beautiful about how intellectually involving it is,” says Dr. Hobson, a Chemistry teacher at Newark Academy with expertise at the game. “A player needs to be creative enough to solve any problem thrown at them in order to win.”

To prove both the rigor of their sport and the skill needed to be a true chess expert, four students in grades six and seven embarked on a journey to Columbus, Ohio and competed in the 2011 National Junior K-9 Chess Championship. “Before we went to the match, we practiced chess tactics and openings…there was a lot of effort put into practice,” says seventh grader Jeremy Glassman.

These four players- seventh graders Adam Branovan and Jeremy Glassman and sixth graders Michael and Matthew Lim- certainly knew what they were getting into with this mission. The competition lasted from April 15 to 17 and involved intense matches held between thirteen teams from across whole expanse of the United States.

“Let’s see…K through 9 Championships…more than one thousand competitors…and the NA middle school chess club placed fourth in the nation. I think we did really well,” remarked Jeremy. After completing their matches, taking fourth place, and receiving a larger-than-life trophy on top of it all, the four chess players truly had an accomplishment to settle upon during their trip home to Newark Academy and to announce at the next Middle School morning meeting. According to Michael, the chess team could have done better, but overall the experience was exciting and a great way to increase the chess club’s recognition throughout the school. “Every year, there is an annual team tournament right in New Jersey, and Newark Academy sends four players to play seven games,” he goes on to state, “…it would be really wonderful if more people knew about it and supported us.”

With a great win ahead of them and an even greater program to begin with, the Newark Academy middle school chess club is always looking towards new members and accomplishments in the near future.