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ORRIN HUDSON

Cover Contest

Winner

December 2015 | USChess.org

“I have a debt

to pay and I’m

doing it with

my chessboard.”

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“[My teacher] taught me there is a consequence for every move we make whether it is playing chess or on the street.”

-Orrin Hudson, pictured with some of his students at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia

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Advancing the US ChessMission & VisionOrrin Hudson of Stone Mountain, Georgia is our first cover contest winner.

Cover Story / Cover Contest

www.uschess.org 37

Chess Life spoke to screenwriter Kate Danaher,katedanaher.com, who told us, “I was so impressedby Orrin’s vision of the link between chess and lifelessons that my writing partner, Bob Rivenbark,and I wrote an award-winning screenplay abouthim. We would love to see it produced, so thateveryone could see Orrin’s powerful and dynamicspirit on the big screen. His message is somethingwe all need to hear.”

There are many motivated US Chess membersout there advancing the cause of chess in the UnitedStates, and we were happy to read all the variousentries. Here is a selection of some of them (lightlyedited for space, style, and content):

Jim EadeMenlo Park, CaliforniaThe U.S. Chess Trust was established to advance themission and vision of US Chess. I was appointed toserve as a trustee in the year 2000. I was voted treasurerin 2005, and president in 2010.

The Trust helps Title 1 schools by providing sets tothose trying to establish chess programs. We have alsoprovided US Chess memberships to those who could nototherwise afford to join. The variety of programs wesupport include, but are not limited to, Chess for Vets,the National Scholar-Chessplayer award, the SamfordFellowship, Hall of Fame, and the Denker and BarberTournaments of Champions.

I have written numerous articles in a variety of chesspublications, and published three different chessmagazines. I published a number of chess books underthe mark Hypermodern Press. I have authored fivebooks on chess including Chess for Dummies, whichis still selling briskly nearly 20 years after first beingpublished.

This book has sold many hundreds of thousands ofcopies domestically, and has been translated into morethan a dozen languages. Chess for Dummies hasintroduced many readers to both chess and to US Chess.

Jarrett DeWeldeSomerset, New JerseyI have been playing chess for over 20 years now. Being

taught how to move the pieces at a young age, I got “bitby the bug” of chess when exposed to US Chess eventsin high school. I quickly ascended to first board on myhigh school team in less than a year.

After a hiatus, I came back as a coach of the St. JosephHigh School chess team in 2011. We usually have about15 kids who play on our team. I am most proud of thefact that these are kids who are casual players and theprogram pretty consistently churns out class B or Cplayers in a relatively quick period of time.

I am also vice president of the Shore High School ChessLeague. I became an accredited tournament director in2012, and was instrumental in bringing rated gamesto not only our high school club but also the league.This has added enthusiasm and interest among theplayers, and as a result these players are playing inmore outside US Chess events.

The Shore High School Chess League has been inexistence for over 30 years. It was “organized exclusivelyfor the purpose of promoting amateur education,activity, and competition in the field of chess.”

It is made up of 25-30 high school teams in the NewJersey region. The league is a gold affiliate, processingwell over 100 memberships annually.

The League is directly responsible for thousands ofplayers being introduced to chess since its inception.Over 50 current players (not alumni) of the Leaguecompeted in this year’s U.S. Amateur East. Includingalumni the number would approach 100.

The real power of the League is reaching casual playersat an impressionable age. Most come in knowing littlemore than how to move the pieces. But after being exposedto US Chess, many improve rapidly and continue theirimprovement after high school. This is an audience thatnever would have been reached without the League.

Zach BekkedahlFort Collins, ColoradoDuring high school, I won a $1,000 scholarship. I investedthat into Chessmates, my chess teaching company. Ibegan with a club and lessons then reached out to localschools offering a chess program. I was rejected 20 timesbut faith is the core of my life and I was determined. Ireached out to successful people seeking advice and

We made this announcement in our Januaryand February 2015 issues: Write us, in 200 words or less, how yourchess activities are advancing our US ChessMission and Vision statements:

US CHESS MISSION: Empoweringpeople through chess one move at a time.

US CHESS VISION: Our vision is toenrich the lives of all persons andcommunities through increasing the play,study, and appreciation of the game of chess.The prize for the best entry was a Chess Lifecover shoot. Orrin Hudson of StoneMountain, Georgia is our winner. Here isOrrin’s entry:

Chess saved my life and I’m using it to both saveand change the lives of young people who needguidance and direction. Am I being overlydramatic here? In my case, absolutely not. In thecases of the thousands of young people I havetouched and influenced through this wonderfulgame, I am on solid ground.

I was an inner city youth in Birmingham in 1978and I was on a dead-end road. My heroes werenot pillars of the community. They were cool and“important” but not for the right reasons. That’swho I wanted to be. I expected no more of myself.But a teacher did.

Using the game of chess, he unlocked my sleepingpotential. He, through the game, empowered meto truly “Be Someone,” which is now my organi-zation’s name. He taught me there is a consequencefor every move we make whether it is playingchess or on the street. He taught me to think itout, don’t shoot it out.

Now I have debt to pay and I’m doing it with mychessboard. I am reaching young people throughchess. I speak their language and they listen. Andwatch. And learn. And change.

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Cover Story / Cover Contest

38 December 2015 | Chess Life

adapted my plan. I finally met a teacher that supporteda trial. Everyone embraced the program! Now into mysixth year, we have over 20 schools and four other chesscoaches on my team.

I’ve run a summer chess camp for six years. Coachesincluded IM Keaton Kiewra and this year GM AlexFishbein. I’ve been a chief tournament director at 45tournaments and am currently testing for seniortournament director.

For the past three years I’ve served as the Coloradoscholastic director. I believe in getting all scholasticplayers into US Chess and rated. My outreach toWyoming resulted in over 40 students regularly beingbused to our tournaments. I utilized the US Chess bulkmembership program resulting in Wyoming rankedfirsts and Colorado second in percent of increased newUS Chess member ships for the past two years. Ourprogram created over 500 new US Chess members.

Tom MurraySparta, New Jersey Imagine nibbling on ceviche at the top of the cliffs inLa Jolla, going to the Andy Warhol Museum, or yourfirst major league baseball game—all because youlearned to play chess! The Sparta, New Jersey ChessClub has been doing these and many other fun activitiesfor the last 13 years.

My teaching background enables me to interact withchildren of all ages and abilities, treating them asindividuals, but making them part of a bigger team.Autistic, neurologically impaired, attention-deficit-disorder, and mentally challenged children have beenan active part of the club, and learned to enjoy the game.

All of my players learn the four “things” ... center pawn,bishops and knights, castling, and let the rooks “see”each other. This gives them an easy to rememberfoundation to the game. They also know about “gettingall of the kids in the game” ... a child’s way to understanddevelopment of pieces. The parents are truly amazedat the achievement of their children.

I run five tournaments a year, including the largestoutdoor scholastic in New Jersey with over 200 players.Our kids have visited 15 states, and we have the bestpublic school program in the state of New Jersey.

Lewis JenkinsAkron, OhioWhat have I done in chess to fulfill the US Chess missionand vision? Precious little:

•̧ Member of winning Akron Buchtel HS chess teams.• Ashland Ohio College chess champ (twice).• Gave simuls and lessons to school chess clubs andneighborhood kids.• Beat master Richard Kause in a simultaneousexhibition.

• Drew IM David Levy in a simultaneous exhibition.• Had a game published in Chess Life (Lev Alburt’s“Back to Basics” column, June 2013)

These are little things, but precious to me as growthrings in my life. Are they enough to win this contest?Absolutely not. What may be enough is this recent

thing: “Diary of a Robot.” It is not a story about chess;it is a science fiction mystery, which—like my life—isriddled with good advice and results fostered by life-lessons I learned playing and studying that game. Theyare lessons I want to share, like:

• Never give up.• Losses teach more than wins do.• Keep studying; see for yourself what is there to see.• Be willing to take risks in a good cause.• Relationships with people are so important that,win or lose, be a good sport.

And there are many others. They have helped me almostevery day.

Michelle PergeorelisNew Castle, Delaware The Delaware Youth Chess Organization (DYCO) firstcame together in March 2014, with the primary goalof increasing chess interest and access to youth in ourstate. Teachers, coaches, players, and parents all joinedDYCO to spread the benefits of chess. Our motto is“Unplug and Play Chess!”

Chess-wise, Delaware has room for growth since thereis only one US Chess tournament each year, and onlya handful of schools compete at US Chess tournaments.

Our group has set out to address these short comings byorganizing tournaments (leading to a 26 percent growthin US Chess members in 2014), creating a “Chess ClubStarter Kit,” preparing workshops to train newcoaches/tournament directors, and collaborating withthe city of Wilmington to start a fall chess league.

From the ground up, DYCO has spurred huge interestin chess throughout Delaware. There have been multiplestories of our efforts in state/local press, we will be ona local TV show, and have secured partnerships withgovernment agencies to fund the expansion of chess toyouth who don’t have access to a chess program.

DYCO uses chess to unite our community around ouryouth and give students the best opportunities to succeedin life and in chess.

Reginald A. Jackson Jr.Chicago, Illinois Being a member of Webster University’s chess team hasshown me how to be a great leader, for other people tolook up to. Being the president of the chess club has allowedme to see why chess is so important to give back to thecommunity. My vision is to spread and enhance the gameof chess to young people and reclaim chess as a hugecommodity to America, as it was when Bobby Fischer wasalive. Chess is not just a game but a way to give peopleopportunities to venture out and share their passion ofchess to people who want to learn. I am so glad that chesshas entered in my life and now the vision for bringingchess into schools for America, is my ambition to strivefor. As life may bring many hardships, I will alwaysremember to make one move at a time and castle early.

James RuthBrook, Indiana As a child I’ve always loved writing, and have always

loved chess. When I joined US Chess in 1998 I wasdelighted to learn I could do both. And through mypersonal life experiences, was very willing to correspondwith those in prison. Over the years I have expandedmy correspond ence to those in prison outside of USChess; to be able to share my love and passion for chess.In hopes of bringing others new to the game, into thefold so to speak. Sharing in the game’s rich history,teaching others through my letters how the game isplayed. I love chess, and your mission is my missionin life.

Roger PagelSpringfield, MissouriI know who hatched the chess club in Springfield,Missouri in 1972, though I am not sure what thosefounders envisioned beyond a structure for competitive,local chess. Like so many clubs formed in the early1970s, Fischer’s run for the world title surely spawnedthe idea. Perhaps, like so many who are drawn by theromantic lure of chess, our local players saw themselvesas world champions in the making, if only their talentscould be schooled among other fish in the 64-squarepool. Four years after its formation, the first clubchampion was anointed. Every year since, 43 years now,the club displays a new name on its championship plaque.

While the club’s attendance may have dwindled to ahandful of fry, the structure remains and those whohave graced our doors are remembered via the SpringfieldPark Board Chess Club website and Facebook page witharchival games, photos, and treasured analysis done byour founders. We honor those, too, who created the activeladder play of the ’80s and ’90s.

What I think keeps the hatchery going might be foundin a saying from a former club president, “Never TooMuch Chess.”

Eric VigilIowa City, IowaI have long been a chess enthusiast. When my son Barrystarted chess at Weber Elementary Chess Club, I didtoo. We entered our first tour nament in Des Moinesfall 2011. There I befriended Steve Young of the IowaState Chess Association (IASCA). Steve asked me to helphim run chess tournaments, and gave me a copy ofWinTD! He died three months later, a few hours afterhe won his last game of chess at the Leatherjackets chesstournament. In March 2012 I took Steve’s place aspresident of the IASCA. Since then I have been active ina number of chess communities, running chess clubs,and establishing several new clubs, including a club forchildren with behavior disorders, and at the OakdalePenitentiary. I believe chess offers tangible rewards andthrough chess I hope to offer these children the skillsthey need to better their lives. I have attended the lasttwo U.S. Opens, serving as Iowa’s delegate. I am on theprison, outreach, and scholastic committees. I passionatelybelieve in chess’ loftiest goals, and plan to further dedicatemyself to the pursuit that has brought meaning anddirection to the lives of so many, my own included.

Are you doing something noteworthy to advance theUS Chess Mission and Vision? Write us atletters@uschess.org.

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