Chess In The Park 1.0

Impact Chess–a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the game of chess in the community, with a focus on young students and senior citizens–hosted its first ever, free “Chess In The Park” event on Sunday, July 10. 

At 1 p.m., with the help of Princeton Chess Academy and volunteers, Impact Chess set up twenty chess boards and refreshments at Princeton’s Turning Basin Park. Participants soon arrived, and, moments later, engaged in half an hour of free play.. 

After some brief rounds of chess, the participants introduced themselves to the group. They were of all ages and skill levels. Then, National Master Winston Ni gave a simultaneous exhibition. Ni, a rising senior at Princeton Day School, was the 2018 National K-9 Champion. In the beginning, Ni played 16 games simultaneously; as more participants showed up, the difficulty for Ni ramped up: at one point, he was playing 19 games at the same time! After two hours of intense play, three of the 25 total players were able to survive Winston; their games were declared as technical draws and they received small prizes. 

Following the simultaneous exhibition, participants continued playing quick rounds among themselves. Winston also took on challengers individually, with students gathering around to watch and kibitz. 

“Chess In The Park” was a massive success, and Impact Chess will continue to host the event once a month. In addition to “Chess In The Park,” Impact Chess also hosts many other tournaments and events in the greater Princeton area. For more information regarding Impact Chess, its events, or donations, please visit impactchess.org.