Members ‘make a move’ as chess club meets

***image1***KMC chess players can “make a move” at the Ramstein Community Center’s chess club meetings at 4 p.m. the first and third Sunday of every month.
Chess enthusiasts are invited to spend leisure time at Connections on Ramstein, Bldg. 411, for competition, skills improvement and camaraderie.
The KMC Chess Club began fall of 2003. The free club is open to chess players 8 and older. Equipment is provided by the community center or participants can bring their own “lucky” boards.
Thomas Boss, along with fellow chess players, Adlai Arthurs and Cat Noll, program director at the Ramstein Community Center, organized the first meeting, which led to formation of this club.
Membership has grown and the organizers are always looking for more players to join the group.
Mr. Boss, an avid chess player, praised the benefits of playing this strategic game.
“Playing chess well requires (four) skills: the ability to focus, mental agility, thinking on your feet and a will to win.
“Chess favors no genetics or gender, levels of education or social strata. When two people sit down at a chess board, the game is nothing less than an intense fair fight. You win, lose, or draw based solely on your moves,” he said.
The founders of the group hope participants use the group as an opportunity to become more social.
“There’s no doubt that the game of chess is an international language itself, enjoyed by many people across all strata of society. You can go anywhere in the world, set up a chess set and within moments, a game and conversation will begin — even if the two players don’t speak the same language.” said Mr. Boss.
Chess is a game that requires strategic thinking and a good dose of patience.
“Chess is like life,” said Mr. Arthurs. “To succeed in (chess) takes patience, planning, concentration, the willingness to set goals and an inclination to see deeply into the nature of things. Chess is about seeing the underlying reality,” said Mr. Arthurs.
Participants can improve their chess skills, make new friends and at the same time, prepare themselves for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Chess Tournament this spring at Ramstein.
For details, call the Ramstein Community Center at 480-6600.