OHS Chess Club Tournament

On Friday, November 10th, the OHS Chess Club held a school-wide tournament. It was a blitz tournament with the “berserk feature” enabled, so the games were fast-paced, full of action, and players could use the feature to get double points if they won the match. The tournament winner was  Jacob Light ‘26 – this is a great reason to reach out and congratulate him! According to Joe Smith ‘25, the leader of the OHS Chess Club, the tournament was a welcome break from midterms that wasn’t “super competitive” or stressful. Smith added that this tournament had great participation on par with the popular tournaments last year which also added to the fun atmosphere Smith has been involved in the OHS Chess Club for the last 3 years and described how it “allows for one to both improve their chess capabilities while having a good time.” He feels that people tend to “believe that they are not ‘good’ enough” to join which he thinks is “not true.” The club implements many learning practices for all skill levels throughout their meeting so there will be plenty of opportunities to learn more about how to play chess. Smith has some advice for any participants. He says that it’s best not to “practice at the very last second” but rather review openings and past games 2-3 weeks beforehand; he added it’s best to focus “on openings you are most comfortable with and [you] know you can win games with.” Smith also suggests playing practice matches with different time controls to prepare for playing in different environments. Lastly, Smith recommends puzzles, which although not as effective as other methods to improve your in-game skills, still help players to“think critically” in the hours leading up to a chess tournament. Ultimately, Smith says it’s about staying calm and having a fun time.

For the future, Smith hinted at the “potential for a competitive team”. A lot of work and thought goes into creating a competitive team, so there is still much consideration and deliberation to be had. Smith says that participation is a factor that the club has struggled with in the past because a competitive team would require consistent and dedicated members. However, this year it hasn’t been a problem. Another challenge is finding schools to play against online which Smith is working on. Despite these challenges, Smith is optimistic about an OHS chess team in the future, if everything else continues to go according to plan. When it comes to the future, Smith also has some chess tournaments planned for the spring along with an interesting proposition for seniors. He wants to organize a senior versus staff chess tournament event for some end-of-school-year festivities. 

Ultimately, “the club is a great way to take a break and enjoy a few games with your fellow OHSers” so be sure to stop by for some educational fun!