HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- The Hanscom Chess Club is seeking new members to play and learn a centuries-old game of strategy and skill.
The club meets weekly on Thursdays at 6 p.m. at Minuteman Commons, and organizers have plans for app-based weekend tournaments to draw more interest in the game they love.
“I’d like to introduce chess to those who might only see it as a game for ‘smart’ or ‘old’ people and change their perspective,” said Senior Airman Reginald Lee, Hanscom Chess Club vice president. “Playing chess fosters critical thinking and emphasizes having patience. It helps build the skills to identify strategies that can lead to better outcomes.”
The club was formed for more competitive players where members participated in tournaments and competitions.
Recently, club members decided it would be best to include others interested in chess.
Douglas 2nd Lt. Frederick Douglas, club president, and Lee envision a larger club with competitive chess enthusiasts, recreational players who want to play for fun and beginners who want to learn how to play.
Douglas is an experienced player who has been playing chess since childhood.
“My mom got me into chess when I was young,” said Douglas. “She taught me the core fundamentals of the game.”
He later joined his high school chess club and continued playing while attending the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
“UMB is one of the more competitive schools in chess,” said Douglas. “I was a member of the club and played regularly. I learned a lot there.”
A club ‘re-opening’ tournament will be announced soon with plans to qualify for Commander’s Cup points.
Current members hope to grow the club into an enduring Hanscom AFB institution.
“We want to create something that is self-sustaining and will go on after we depart from Hanscom,” said Douglas.
Those interested in the Hanscom Chess Club can contact Douglas at frederick.douglas.2@us.af.mil or Lee at reginald.lee.7@us.af.mil.