Chess club members talk about Chess Club and what goes on in the club.
By: Adam Lopez
Chess is a strategy game that’s been around since the 6th century. Redwood has its very own Chess club.
Mr. Xicotenati Rojas, Biology teacher and Chess Club’s advisor, says, “We play chess. And it’s more than just chess. It’s a fun little community where you can come and sharpen your pattern recognition skills and adjust your causation.”
Chess Club isn’t just for those who already know the game. Mr. Rojas says that Chess Club is open to anyone and everyone, although the club appears not to be too diverse in their members.
Chess Club’s treasurer
Photo A. Lopez/Gigantea
Kaitlyn Peterson, ‘27, Chess Club’s Treasurer, says, “I just wish there were more females in Chess Club since there’s only about two or three. So it’d be great if we could get more.”
The club recently established a competitive team where those who sign up get to play in competitive tournaments and play other schools in games of chess.
Chess Club competitive player
Photo A. Lopez/Gigantea
Michael Flores, ‘27, a member of Chess Club’s competitive team, says, “ Basically, it’s a three on three format. The formats would be three students going against other three, but it would typically be on one on one, and whatever school wins is a set, so if two Redwood students, for example, win their game, and only one student from the other school wins, then that set would go to Redwood. And you do that for three sets like two set two or three sets and then just play competitively.”
Flores also speaks on what it’s like to be a competitive player and go up against others in a competition setting.
“It’s pretty intense. It’s fun. I would say it’s worth the fun. It’s worth playing chess, but it’s also competitive because you don’t know what your opponent’s gonna play,” says Flores.
Flores says, “So you have those strategies, [and] you have to plan ahead. You have to know what piece the other player is going to put. You have to be careful of the surroundings of the board, because if you make the wrong move, you could potentially mess up your whole game and lose it.”
Adam Lopez
Tags: chess, chess club, clubs, clubs & lifestyles, competitive chess, Redwood, redwood chess club, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwood rangers, rhs, rhs chess club, visalia ca
