Sure hovering over a checkered board for a few hours doesn’t seem all that exciting, but neither does sitting on your ass watching television if you think about it. So while some people are shocked by the amount of drugs Anna Nicole Smith had in her system, others stare at figurines of horses, kings and queens looking for answers. The tournament chess club at the U focuses their attention on implementing new strategies on the board to crush their opponents.

There are many misconceptions about people who play chess, which is unfortunate because it closes the door to others who probably would have an affinity for the game. Chess is universally known as one of the most complex games where a variety of moves are employed. With moves like castling, dragon and the King’s Indian Defense what’s not to love?

The tournament chess club spawned from the chess club and allows members to play against different people from different colleges, leading to, dare I say, a social scene. The tournament chess club started last semester after a call for more competition by chess club members.

“Anyone can come to the meetings. We have anywhere from 10-year-olds to 60-year-olds showing up and wanting to play,” chess club president Jeff Olson said.

Members of the chess club organized the tournament chess club after growing weary of the same room and same opponents.

“You get used to people’s style and it’s nice to have competitive challenges with having tournaments,” Olson said.

Olson got his start in chess in high school along with a friend, Matt Jensen. Together they quickly improved to become the top two players in their school. The former president of the chess club knew them and invited them to come along to play at the U. They have continued to climb the ranks in the world of chess. Jensen has reached expert level. The top level of achievement is grandmaster followed by various forms of master status, expert and then class A to class J levels.

In addition to hosting tournaments, the club brings in top local players to teach different moves. Last year Grandmaster Pablo Zarnicki came to Coffman and played against 30 people at the same time. Alexander Balander, a top 5 Minnesota player also visits once a month for a couple of hours to go over openings and other tactics with the members.

Often times, area schools call the club to help coach their teams or get a program started, Olson said. He says helping other people learn the game is a rewarding experience and allows the club to draw more talent in the future.

The chess club will have booths at Coffman about once a week to gain more exposure and to educate the masses about chess. Olson said they will have games going on while people stop by to ask questions. They explain some of the different moves for curious people and then get back to their game. The chess club meets at Coffman every week and holds tournaments every other week.