Students are sneaking out their phones, opening hidden tabs on their computers, and taking too long to get a drink of water. Are they on social media? Playing video games? Cheating on their classwork?

No, none of these. These students are playing chess.

Many remember the chess craze that engulfed the school last year. It seemed that at any moment in any class — someone was sneakily playing chess. This is still a common sight today.

So where is the chess club? With the amount of class time spent playing chess, surely there would be an effort to form a chess club. The truth, in fact, was that the chess club has already lived and died.

I was in the chess club myself. Joining in my sophomore year, I met with the club of nearly 30 students in room 2208 after school on Wednesday. Our chaperone was Mr. Trinkner, who would occasionally play against us students. The club had an assortment of chess boards and clocks. We also had a “smart chess board” which contained a computer capable of playing a human opponent). It was truly a fun time.

However, as the year progressed, other clubs culled our numbers. As spring arrived, I walked into the chess club classroom to learn that I was the only remaining member. The club was officially disbanded in fall. A revival of the club the following year suffered a similar fate.

I have long wondered about the various complications that may have led students to leave the club (besides the allure of other clubs). Were we meeting at an inconvenient time? Did we not have enough members? Had we become stale?

A survey offered to Boulder High students offers a unique insight into these questions. Of the students who responded to the survey, over 70% said that they like chess in a general sense. Another 59% of students admitted to have played chess during school hours. Most importantly, just over 11% of responders said that they would be interested in joining a chess club here at school. One student wrote that they felt the chess club had indeed become stale last year, citing the lack of variety in opponents (due to the club’s low attendance rate). If these statistics are indicative of Boulder High as a whole — a reorganized chess club may be able to attract a sizable amount of students.

Whenever I meet another chess enthusiast, my mind instantly takes me back to the glory days of the chess club and the large numbers we were able to achieve by only word of mouth. Proper organization is key to the prosperity of our school’s chess club. It is my steadfast belief that the chess club could attract many more students if only they could advertise on a greater scale. If the sudden popularity of chess has piqued your interest in the game, do Boulder High a favor and advocate for the chess club. Email [email protected] if you are interested.