By Michael Pyo ’22, Feature Writer

Chess is a game for the patient, strategic, and sharp minded. In other words, one could say that chess advances your academic standing at Newark Academy. What other way can we see examples of that in our daily life than to exemplify Newark Academy’s very own Chess Club. In light of Roshan ‘21 and Taran ‘21 Idnani’s recent chess championship, I decided interviewing the Chess Club would be a great way to bring more light to the games active presence in our NA community. I had the honor of interviewing a few of the wonderful members of the 2018-2019 NA Chess Club: Dr. Hobson, Mr. Ball, Dr. Hobson, the Idnani twins, Warren Sunada-Wong ‘20, and Simon Gorbaty ‘19.

Q: How does chess help the mind and the body?

Dr. Hobson: Chess helps develop many intellectual skills: concentration, problem-solving, visualization, creativity, memory, etc. Many studies support this and demonstrates that it helps in academic achievement.

Me: On a more scientific note…

Mr. Ball: I suspect playing chess also leads to a release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes one feel pleasure. Chess is fun!

Q: There is a ongoing debate on whether chess is a sport or not. Where do you stand on this issue?

Simon Gorbaty: It’s a sport in every aspect except physical exertion. There’s a lot of mental exertion, for sure, but that wouldn’t make it a sport in the conventional sense– rather, a game. With that being said, I know members on the NA golf team who do not physically exert themselves at all. So if we look at it in terms of degrees, chess at NA is a sport to a far greater degree than NA golf. On a side note, if chess was more of a sport than football, then Mr. Gilbreath would have a lot more wins to boast about.

I interviewed the Idnani twins on the topic of their recent chess competition.

Q: Can you tell me about your experience at your most recent champion chess tournament (2018 National K-12 Grade 10 Championships)?

Roshan Idnani: In the nationals, I was winning with 3/3 and then messed up and lost round four. I ended up in seventh place out of over a hundred players.

Taran Idnani: I scored 4.5/7 and ended up with 14th place. I enjoyed the experience as I was with some of my friends who played in the tournament from NA and we got the second place award.

Michael: That is very good! It must of taken a lot of effort and dedication to reach the level that you’re both at. Do you guys have a coach, any favorite players?

Taran and Roshan: Our coach’s name is GM Arun Prasad Subramanian, and our favorite player is Fabiano Caruana.

Q: What got you interested in the game of chess?

Taran Idnani: I got a chess set on my fifth birthday. I picked it up one day and loved playing the game.

Warren Sunada-Wong: I was first introduced to chess by my dad. He taught me how to play when I was younger, but I didn’t play very much until I joined the chess club with Mr. Ball in middle school. I became especially motivated to improve when I played a game against James Blume and lost.

In conclusion, chess is a game dear to many students at Newark Academy. Roshan and Taran Idnani’s excellent results at a national chess competition should inspire you to come to a Chess Club meeting. Students who cannot attend the meetings can  download a chess app and play on their phones. It is never too late to pick up the game and release some dopamine. The club meets every Friday after school in Room 204. Middle School chess meets every 4th period, Day 5, in Room 406. Students are also welcome to stop by Room 204 after school any day to play a game, or during a free period if the room is available. According to Dr. Hobson, “Students generally pick an opponent and start a game in these weekly meetings. In the past, we have had Masters and Grandmasters come and present lessons. Sometimes we ask our own players to share their tournament games.”

It is fun. Trust me and Mr. Ball on this one.