By Nick Leibinger / USF ZNews
TAMPA– USF Chess Club hosts weekly events every Thursday evening at the Marshall Student Center open to anyone who is interested in playing.
Typically these events run from 5-8 p.m., during which one can participate any time. The meetings are very casual, you can attend alone or with friends and you do not have to bring anything. The club provides all of the boards, pieces and tables.
For those who worried about not being good enough to join, the Chess Club President Ryan Putney said, “For the Thursday meetings, our most common event, we accept anybody, any skill level is allowed.”
Putney also mentioned that the club intends to open an educational service within the club. The club will begin offering classes on Thursdays soon for beginners to make the jump to intermediate, and for intermediates to progress to and advanced level of chess strategy.
In addition to simply playing the sport, the meetings allow for the opportunity to socialize and meet new people. Players can choose any random board and any available opponent to play against. If any player has trouble finding an opponent, club officers will match you with another player.
Founded in the 1960s the USF Chess Club is one of the longest-standing clubs at the university. The group was briefly disbanded in the 2010s but has since been revived and is currently very active.