Gainsville State College has new chess club

Douglas Young was expecting an empty classroom when he called the first meeting of Gainesville State College’s newly minted and possibly first-ever Chess Club.

To his pleasant surprise, he opened the door at Academic II, Room 146, to a roomful of people.

“With most clubs, it’s a victory to get attendance in the double figures,” said Young, professor of political science and history.

Fifteen people, faculty and staff alike, showed for the first meeting and about the same number at last Wednesday’s weekly meeting.

In between the two meetings, 11 people signed up at an Aug. 29 college club fair.

Young was downright giddy about the interest at last week’s meeting.

“We have gotten off to a grand start,” he said.

The club is planning T-shirts, posters to put up across campus, chess-related movies (such as “The Search for Bobby Fischer” and “The Seventh Seal”) and guest speakers. “Most of us, I’d say, fall between beginners and intermediates,” Young said of the club roll. “A few folks are really good at it, but most of us are pretty rusty.

“But I feel we can get better and better with practice.”

As for himself, Young learned to play chess as a child, played through his youth and then gave up the game in college.

Last Christmas, his girlfriend gave him a chess board as a gift and he started playing the game with his brother.

“I fell in love with the game all over again,” Young said.

He mentioned the game to students in his classes this past spring, igniting some interest. He ended up inviting students to his office to play chess on Friday afternoons.

The club sprung from there and through the encouragement of Charles Karcher, social sciences chairman, Young said.

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