After school clubs at Patrick M. Villano School are popular this year. There are six clubs for students. The clubs meet on Wednesdays after school from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. during the months of February through April. One of those after school clubs is the Chess Club.
“It’s a good way to learn how to play chess and play with other people frequently,” Liam Smith, a fifth-grader, said.
Liam got into chess when he was nine years old. He played with his dad, and then got a magnetic chess board. He eventually started bringing his chess board to school to play with his friends. He often brings his personal board to Chess Club.
Chess is a game with 32 figurines and a checkered board. The pieces represent a medieval setting. The pieces include a king, queen, bishops, knights, rooks, and pawns. Each piece has unique moves. The king can only travel one space in any direction on the board, while the queen can move diagonally as many spaces as the player decides. The object is to corner or capture the king. That’s a checkmate. If the king is only in danger but can move away in a safe way, the other player must say “check” meaning the king is in danger of being captured.
Chess club adviser, April Catuogno, plays chess at home with her husband and two sons. She brought her love of the game to the after school club offerings a few years ago.
“Holding the chess club after school is a fun way for students to socialize while building their critical thinking and decision making skills,” Catuogno said.
Catuogno always invites students from Emerson Junior-Senior High School to play with the club. Sometimes those students need volunteer hours.
“Chess club is interesting because we have volunteers from time to time that come around and play games with us,” Evan Travers, a fifth-grade member, said.
