The Baltimore City College Chess Club was a prevalent extracurricular in the early 2000s, attending many tournaments and being successful in those tournaments. However, the club was disbanded in 2018. Throughout online school and the thick of the pandemic, the club remained dormant. In 2022, two students restarted a chess club at Baltimore City College, rebranding it the Baltimore City College Chess Team. A recent interview with one of the founders sheds light on the club’s purpose.
When asked why the club was created, the founder cited his interest in chess as their inspiration.
“This past summer, I found myself in a unique position. My friend and I both wanted a place to play chess at school, yet we realized that we didn’t have the space we wanted. We realized that starting the chess club would be beneficial to not only us, but countless students at City.”
Founding and running a club is no easy task. The process of recruiting and gaining approval from administrators, and to find a willing teacher to aid in the creation of the club is a tedious process.
“It was a long and frustrating process. We had to deal with logistical issues as well as determining if there was a desire for a chess club at City. After countless emails and gauging the student body, we finally created the team.”
Another hurdle for the founders was the ever present threat of the pandemic that hindered the club’s progress.
“In the 21-22 school year, my friend and I had thought about starting a chess team, but the ideas never amounted to anything as COVID was still preventing us from forming the club.” Nevertheless, the founders were persistent in their pursuit to create a space for all chess players, beginners and intermediate, to enjoy the strategic game of chess.
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