As Rochester’s chess scene grows, one high school team is eyeing another statewide title
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Some schools have academic accolades; others have powerhouse sports teams. In Rochester, one area high school is becoming known for its formidable chess team.
Century High School was a statewide champion last year, and on a recent December afternoon, Century hosted the first of seven Rochester city-wide chess meets in advance of the state championship in the spring.
In a media room, students sat across from each other in pairs, staring intently at the boards in front of them, gaming out how they would next move their pawn, knight, bishop or rook. Eventually, there will be a playoff for a traveling trophy that migrates annually to the winningest school’s trophy case.
Century currently lays claim to that trophy and many more from other past chess tournaments.
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A big part of that success can be credited to coach Chuck Handlon. He’s taught the game and worked with chess players at Century and other schools around Rochester for 26 years. It’s a life-long passion for him.
“When I was in elementary school in the late ‘60s, Bobby Fisher was the wunderkind, and chess was becoming popular, and I learned it,” he said.
As coach, Handlon’s biggest job is to keep the kids motivated. They practice together after school and online when they’re at home. After every tournament, Handlon has them dissect and analyze their moves to figure out what went right and understand what went wrong.
“And sometimes it's just psychology. Kids having a rough time, and it's like, ‘Hey, you know you lost those few games. Let's sit down, go over it and do better next time here.’”
Welcoming new players
Handlon taught chemistry at Century for decades. In that role, he talked up the game to his students. Handlon is retired now. But he can’t quit chess; he loves the game too much. And Handlon is still cultivating a pipeline of new players, recruiting middle schoolers to learn the game so they can join the team when they start ninth grade.
He and other area youth chess coaches are also focused on welcoming players who may feel like the game isn't for them — such as young women.
During the recent tournament at Century, Mayo High School senior Giada Barnes was practicing her moves in a classroom. She said playing chess helps her in other favorite sport, soccer.
“[Chess] kind of opens my mind, and makes me feel at ease,” Barnes said. “It’s like ‘think before you pass’ in soccer. [Chess is] ‘think before you move.’”
Barnes was playing a practice round against Century sophomore Ezra Mengesha. He’s not on the team, but he comes to practice for fun.
“This game is over 1,000 years old. I'm playing the same game that Genghis Khan played. That’s crazy,” Mengesha said. “It’s way better than any phone game. It’s better than people who go home and … play Fortnite.”
A repeat win
As they wrapped up their matches, chess players filtered into the practice room. Century sophomore Johan Myburgh was among the players that helped his school win that statewide title last spring.
“I was just super nervous, but I actually came out with a win, and that was great, because that supported the team, and that's how we got the co-champion title,” he said.
Sophomore Joshua Wang was on that championship team, too. He said he wasn’t a chess natural at first. Now, chess strategy is always playing out in his head.
“At the start of every tournament, I just think to myself, ‘Chess is a game, so I'm just going to be on the board. I'm just playing my best chess,’” Wang said.
Wang and Myburgh are both excited to try for another championship this spring. In the meantime, they’re working through their moves, their strategies and their sometimes shaky nerves.
