Chess interest going strong; HAPL offers club sessions

HUNTLEY — When Anish Bhatt returned to Huntley after college graduation, he wished to spread his interest in the sport of chess, an interest he had since his toddler years.

“I contacted Huntley Area Public Library because they had a club before,” Bhatt said. “They were having a renovation project and told me to contact them when it was done.”

Bhatt did just that and because of his interest in chess, and some adult helpers, some 30 8-12 year olds matched moves on the chess board at the bi-monthly Chess Club Wednesday night meeting.

“I have seen some general improvement in their abilities,” Bhatt, of Algonquin, said of the group. “My purpose is to figure out their skill level and have classes in chess.”

Bhatt credits his dad with introducing him to the fun of chess.

“My dad, Naren, and an uncle taught me chess at about age 5,” Bhatt said. “It was a natural for me. I play casually and sometimes in online tournaments.”

Like Bhatt, Tristian Baum, one of the players April 5, had an early start in chess.

“I have been playing for seven years – my grandmother taught me,” Baum said.

“I love it; you get to see people’s strategies,” player Brayden Tuelford said.

“I got interested because my daughter Summer enjoys it so much,” library volunteer Sylwia Milostan said.

She said the response for ages eight to 12 has grown since the Chess Club started again in 2022.

For Gil High of Sun City, his chess days began in July, 1972, He was in the Army when USA chess champion Bobby Fischer out dueled Russian Boris Spassky. “The match was on TV in all the bars; it was crazy,” he said.

The calls of “check” and “checkmate” will return to the HAPL program rooms April 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.  For more information on library programs, call HAPL at 847-669-5386 or visit www.HuntleyLibrary.org.