Sebastian, Vero Beach chess clubs join USCF
By LAUREL JACKSON
correspondent
October 13, 2006
SEBASTIAN — Come young, come old. Come join the Indian River Chess Club! Dating back to the 1970s, the club has had — no pun intended — a very checkered past and has no plans of ever being in threat of a checkmate.
Originally the Chess Club met in Vero Beach in places ranging from senior centers to schools. This was only after the threat of the club folding due to weak membership numbers and a lack of places that would offer their facility as a place to play.
The threat was countered with a move to the Indian River County Library and the Vero Beach club soon saw its membership jump to 75 players.
The Vero Beach players did not know of the Sebastian club and likewise for the Sebastian players. The Vero Beach club was being taught by Class A-rated player Humberto Cruz.
Cruz is a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His penchant for numbers in financial planning is one of the skills that attribute to him being such an excellent teacher and player. He has been involved with both chess clubs for about five years and actively coordinating for the past two years.
On the other side of the county, and not yet affiliated with the Vero Beach club, in Sebastian, chess volunteer and now vice president of the club Louis “Lou” Jovanovich was teaching and organizing chess games for children.
In January of this year Jovanovich took over the Sebastian club from his daughter, Maria. Jovanovich started playing chess when he was 6 years old in Serbia, or in his day, Yugoslavia.
“Chess is the best game for one reason: You have to concentrate and then move,” he said. With his efforts, along with Cruz’s help, Jovanovich has brought the Sebastian club membership to more than 30 children.
The club now meets at 4 p.m. every Monday at the North Indian River County Library on Sebastian Boulevard. Membership is free.
Cruz saw that both clubs were running independently of each other and he says, “It prompted both to unite.”
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