Chess, the Mind, SJND, and Alameda
Written by Nicolaus Thyen ‘27
Chess is a game played all over the world, with a history spanning over thousands of years. It’s known for its simple-to-learn gameplay (outside of a few niche rules), difficulty to master, and many layers of strategy. The game has many proven benefits for the mind, from increasing logic and problem-solving skills to increasing focus. The game’s universal nature has allowed people from many walks of life to pick up and enjoy the game. Some of these people include those who go to SJND or reside in the Bay Area. This article will go over the effects of chess on the human mind, the SJND chess tournament, and interviews with notable chess players in SJND and Alameda.
Chess and the Mind
Chess is a strategic game that, if one is to play proficiently, requires the brain to do intense thinking and problem-solving. The critical thinking skills required help sharpen the mind and engage one’s critical thinking skills, activating the prefrontal cortex (part of the brain responsible for problem-solving). This was proven by an experiment using federated chess players from official Portuguese chess clubs and conducted by using a Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, also known as an fNIR. In the experiment, “Participants were asked to solve three chess problems with different difficulties (low, medium, and high) while changes in HbO2 and HHb were measured over the PFC in real-time with an fNIRS system. Results indicated that the left prefrontal cortex (L-PFC) increased its activation with the difficulty of the task in both adolescents and adults. Interestingly, differences in the PFC dynamics but not in the overall performance were found between adults and adolescents.” (You can read in full detail here).
Another thing that chess can help with is memorization: The multitudes of openings you or an opponent might play also encourage intense memorization and studying, which activates the hippocampus, the part of the brain that carries out the functions of memory.
This evidence of the effect of playing chess on the human mind is not only backed up by experiments done by scientists but also by statements from chess players around the States and the Bay Area. In an interview with former Bay Area resident and chess Master Robert “Jersey Bob” Gavrich, he states, “It’s a great training for the mind. It keeps me sharp as I age.”
Some more evidence that backs this up is a statement made in another interview with another chess player (and chess teacher) Nicolas Fontaine, in which he says, “ I feel like it’s really helped my critical thinking skills. I think it’s really made me sharper as a person. It’s made me more patient as a person when making decisions and thinking one step ahead.”
Chess and SJND
SJND is also home to a chess club, and over the past couple weeks, the club has been hosting a chess tournament to decide who the best chess player is at SJND. Currently the tournament is nearly over, with only grand finals left remaining. The bracket consists of 18 people, each matchup containing a first to one and 10 minutes of time. Whoever wins moves up in the bracket.
Currently, the grand finals consist of 1st seed Jerry Hu and Oliver Suer.
Both players fought hard to make it to the top. Notably, Oliver Suer defeated teacher and SJND chess club supervisor Mr. Sunderland in a close set. What makes the Suer v. Sunderland special though was the first game. Mr. Sunderland was winning game and by the endgame, he was up a queen and time to Oliver’s single king and 0.3 seconds of time. Despite this massive disadvantage, Oliver managed to crawl his way back and force the game into a draw. This massive momentum shift allowed him to gain a decisive victory over Mr. Sunderland in the next game, guaranteeing his spot in grand finals.
Our other competitor in grand finals, Jerry Hu, made it to the top, and while not making any major upsets, still had quite the journey. After defeating Kieran Brown and Mateo Esparrago, Jerry ended up facing 4th seed and chess club president, Michael Ho. The game was mostly even until Jerry managed to pull ahead in the later half of the game and take the victory.
Another surprising performance was that of 14th seed and freshman Nicolaus Thyen. Nicolaus was up against 3rd seed Kaizer Clauson, a candidate who was expected to go far up the bracket and possibly win the whole tournament. Nicolaus was expected to be a free win for Kaizer, and the first half of the game supported this belief. By the midgame, Nicolaus was down a bishop and time. However, Nicolaus managed to bring it back to nearly even with some tricky play. The endgame was looking to be a fight to see who could make their pawn reach the other side of the board to turn it into a queen. Nicolaus had a pawn on the H file, and Kaizer had one pawn on the D file and another less important pawn on the board. Both pawns were set to become queens on the same turn, and indeed they did. However, Kaizer’s king was set on the F3 square, which is a perfect diagonal to skewer the king and take the free queen on D1. Nicolaus noticed this and took the queen, securing the comeback. Kaizer, realizing the situation was hopeless, resigned.
Nicolaus also went on to defeat 6th seed and fellow freshman Jeremiah Myers in another unexpected upset. After this, Nicolaus lost against Oliver Suer in a 2–0 sweep, guaranteeing his 4th place finish as the 14th seed.
As of writing this, the grand finals are still yet to happen and are planned to take place after spring break.
Chess in Alameda
Another local aspect of chess is the chess in Alameda. Nearly every school here has a chess club or at least a chess club. However something notable is happening in the Alameda chess world. Avid chess player, teacher, and gym employee Nicolas Fontaine has started his own chess club in the gym where he works at where you can learn chess and get a workout in at the same time.
In an interview, Nicolas Fontaine was asked about how he got his start in chess and what has kept him playing for so long, in which he responded, “Initially it was watching the old guys play in the park. After that it was playing casually with my friends and wanting to beat them. I can really attribute what’s kept me playing the game is working with Bob Gavrich. For about 5 years, we exchanged chess lessons for personal training. In a way, he held me accountable for continuing to play.”
Nicolas’ lessons are available to anyone on Saturdays, So if you are interested in learning more about chess, as well as get in some exercise, this is the thing for you.
Interviews
Here’s an interview with SJND student and chess player Jerry Hu, who is currently set to play Oliver Suer in the grand finals of the SJND chess tournament.
Question: What got you into chess?
Jerry Hu: I had a friend in the chess club when I was in elementary school. I wanted to play with him so I went to the same club as him. I beat him on the second.
Question: What has kept you playing the game after so many years?
Jerry Hu: What kept me keep playing the game? What kept me? I play because I want to play and because I don’t want to lose the chess skills that I have.
Question: What do you consider your general play style to be? What openings do you like to use?
Jerry Hu: I have a defensive style. I prefer black as I like defending. When I play black, I play defensive, and when I play white, I play offensive.
Question: What do you consider to be your strengths as a chess player?
Jerry Hu: The use of bishop. The skill of looking at the whole game. I’m like the Godview of the game.
Question: What do you consider to be your weaknesses as a chess player?
Jerry Hu: Weaknesses? I would say, if I haven’t played for a day then I would be super bad on the first game but fine on the next game. I get rusty.
Question: How has chess affected you in your life?
Jerry Hu: It gives me confidence, it keeps me thinking.
Question: Do you remember what the little horsey is called?
Jerry Hu: The knight.
Next is an interview with chess player and teacher, Nicolas Fontaine:
Question: What got you into chess?
Nicolas Fontaine: Initially was watching the old guys play in the park. After that it was playing casually with my friends and wanting to beat them.
Question: What is your rating and your connections to chess?
Nicolas Fontaine: My rating is 1800 in blitz. I teach chess privately as well as teach chess at an elementary school. I also host a chess workout lesson at my gym.
Question: What has kept you playing the game after so many years?
Nicolas Fontaine: I can really attribute what’s kept me playing the game is working with Bob Gavrich. For about 5 years, we exchanged chess lessons for personal training. In a way, he held me accountable for continuing to play.
Question: What do you consider your general play style to be? What openings do you like to use?
Nicolas Fontaine: I would consider my play style to be “scrappy” fast and aggressive. I like to win in advantage very quickly and then trade all my pieces off the board. I like to use The Vienna, the Queen D6 Scandinavian, and the Bayonet Attack. Also the Rossolimo and the Budapest.
Question: What do you consider to be your weaknesses as a chess player?
Nicolas Fontaine: The endgame.
Question: How has chess affected you in your life?
Nicolas Fontaine: I feel like it’s really helped my critical thinking skills. I think it’s really made me sharper as a person. It’s made me more patient as a person when making decisions and thinking one step ahead.
Question: Do you remember what the little horsey is called?
Nicolas Fontaine: I think the little horseys are called ponies. In regards to chess I think they are called the knight, k-n-i-g-h-t and they are the only piece that can jump over other pieces.
Finally, an interview with former Bay Area resident and chess Master, Robert “Jersey Bob” Gavrich:
Question: What got you into chess?
Robert Gavrich: Fischer vs Spassky. The American hero who defeated the Russian chess machine. He pretty much took down all the Russians. The Russian state sponsored the Russians, and Fisher was just a guy from Brooklyn, New York on his own. Watching that match in the summer of 1972 is what inspired me, I was 12 years old at the time.
Question: What is your chess rating and title?
Robert Gavrich: When I was 18 years old, I got as high as 2260, you got to be above 2200 to be a master. I was at one point the 26th-best player in the U.S. I played until I was 20, and that’s when I stopped playing. In my last tournament, I played so badly that I dropped below 2200 so technically I’m an expert, not a master if you take my rating from that tournament.
Question: What has kept you playing the game after so many years?
Robert Gavrich: It’s addictive. It’s a great training for the mind. It keeps me sharp as I age. It’s really shaped my mind and whole outlook on life.
Question: What do you consider your general play style to be? What openings do you like to use?
Robert Gavrich: The openings are not my strength even though the diagnostics on Lichess say my openings are really strong. I prefer tactics over the opening.
Question: What do you consider to be your strengths as a chess player?
Robert Gavrich: My strengths are tactics. Tactics could be explained like little tricks on the chessboard, such as forks, pins, etc.
Question: What do you consider to be your weaknesses as a chess player?
Robert Gavrich: The openings. I don’t want to memorize long openings that last 15 or 20 moves so I try to steer towards openings that rely more on intuition and general feel.
Question: How has chess affected you in your life?
Robert Gavrich: It’s trained my mind to think in an orderly manner. Chess is really good at dealing with change, as the board changes every move. It has helped me be more flexible and deal with changes in life, roll with the punches. It’s helped my sense of planning. It’s helped me meet a lot of interesting people. Just two nights ago, I went to Reno Chess Club, where I met a lot of interesting people, and on my trip to the Philippines, where I met a lot of interesting people.
Do you remember what the little horsey is called?
Robert Gavrich: Do I remember what the little horsey is called? The little horsey is called the knight. K-n-i-g-h-t. A lot of people who are new to chess will call the knight the horse and the rook the castle.
Conclusion
Chess has had a massive impact on many aspects of people and cultures around the world. It has found its way into the foundations of pop culture, even if its influences may seem subtle. From yelling out “Checkmate!” when winning any game, to phrases such as “chess, not checkers.” Chess is undeniably part of humanities culture as a whole. SJND’s chess community is no different when it comes to chess’ allure, as it does indeed have a chess club with some avid chess players. Chess’ timeless nature and universality allows anyone to play it. Anyone could include you, so if you haven’t picked up a piece and start playing yet, give it a chance. Who knows? Maybe you could become one of the best chess players the world has to offer.
