LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An after-school chess program that started three years ago is growing in Louisville.

What You Need To Know

  • An after-school chess program that started three years ago is growing in Louisville

  • Two middle school students share why they enjoy the program

  • They are hoping to start a chess league in their school

  • About 15 students participated in this semester's first Chess Academy 

It’s the Jefferson County Public Schools Diversity, Equity and Poverty Chess Academy, and on this day in the back of the room are best friends, Mahdi Ghafghazi and Aaryan Raje, facing off with a friendly game of chess.

“You should have taken the bishop,” said Ghafghazi to Raje.

They know, almost, how each other thinks.

“Most of the time, he wins. Yeah. Yeah. We have this friend in school, though, who beats us both,” Ghafghazi said. “Yeah. He’s insanely good,” Raje added.

These 7th graders are trying to get a chess league at their school, Meyzeek Middle School.

“We couldn’t find a sponsor for the chess school because everybody, every teacher was busy,” Ghafghazi said.

They remain optimistic, however, that perhaps next year a teacher will sponsor chess. But in the meantime, they’re taking part in the after school Chess Academy at the Shawnee Satellite Office with JCPS.

“The whole reason people do extracurriculars is to do something to get out of their comfort zone or express what they like and a lot of people in my school do like chess,” Raje said. “And if there’s no program for it, there’s not really much of a way to show what they like to do.”

It began in 2021 with only a handful of students and now Ian Brandon said Chess Academy has expanded.

“When I took over, it started kind of more of a beginner’s program, and it’s slowly evolving to a beginner, intermediate and experienced,” Brandon said, who’s the supervisor of the satellite office.

Brandon said he’s become a student of chess just by hosting the program.

“Looking at the board in its entirety, looking at each piece for what they can do, for what they can’t do, how some pieces work together to essentially form a stronger move. I think that that translates into life,” Brandon said.

That’s life experience these students will carry with them into adulthood.

“So for me, providing not only just students in general but specifically our West End communities, the opportunity to be exposed to something like chess is important to me,” Brandon said.

The program is working to expand further and introduce chess tournaments in the future.

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