Chess Club

Chess master Bobby Fischer once famously said that “All I want to do ever, is just play chess,” and the same can be said about Jeff Davis; social studies teacher, chess enthusiast and chess coach at Urbana High School. “I came across chess in law school” said Davis, “As a naturally competitive person, I just sort of fit right in with the game and vice versa.”

Davis is not alone in his love for chess here at UHS. Davis’ first year here in 2008, he and a few students started out what latter evolved into the UHS Chess Team. The team began as a small club of a few students who met once or twice a week in Davis’ room to play.

One of these students was Junior Sven Cambell, who joined in the 2009-2010 school year, and along with Davis, is perhaps the last of the old breed of hardcore UHS chess players, most of whom having left last year along with the class of 2011.

“For me personally, chess has played a very important role in my life because it was a good way to bond with my father and brother when I was younger, and as I got older I realized that chess is a universal game which requires no language to bond over. From Cuba to Russia people play chess, and chess is played all over the world without problems. No war or conflict has revolved around chess, and that can’t be said about most other things,” said Cambell.

The chess team’s main rival, University Laboratory High School (Uni), is in for a world of pain this year said Davis, who said that he has a secret plan to defeat Uni this year come regionals. “I like a challenge” said Davis.

With most of the ranks of the chess teams cadres depleted, the team is made up of mostly fresh faces this year, and has some very promising players according to Davis.

“I want to learn chess,” said Sophomore Roc Basi, one of the fresh faces in the UHS chess team ” I am firm in my belief that under Mr. Davis we will be led to victory over Uni!”