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East High Chess Club
I started the East High Chess Club second semester of the 2015-16 year with the (then) senior Amir Lankarani. We both shared a common interest in chess and believed that many others had the same interest too. In order to establish a hub where chess players or aspiring chess players can meet and play chess together, it was natural that Amir and I decided to start the chess club. We eventually decided on having Mr. White be our sponsor. While Amir and I technically began the club, further inspiration came from mutual friends who also had the common desire to play chess. Without this inspiration from other Aces, the idea of a chess club would have remained as just that, only an idea.
During my freshman year (I’m a senior now), I remember seeing a poster that advertised weekly lunch meetings for chess club at the time, but after that year I saw no trace of a chess club again. Amir and I wanted to start chess club again but leave a different legacy. In addition to having a central place where people can play chess within East, we also wanted to expand the East High chess community’s passion beyond just within our school. The city of Wichita used to be a chess hub itself in attracting chess players state-wide, both scholastic players and experts! In recent years, Wichita has declined in its status as a chess center; the high concentration of chess culture has shifted mainly to northeast Kansas. This is a problem since it means that the current and newer generation of chess players in Wichita must travel longer distances to play the same amount of chess as one could have back then, requiring stronger dedication and working against unnecessary obstacles. To strengthen chess playing again here in Wichita, we formed a new mission for the new East High Chess Club: to revitalize chess playing in Wichita to and beyond what it once was through East High’s participation in the Wichita chess community. Although Amir Lankarani has graduated in the Class of 2016, we both wish to see our vision of Wichita as a center for chess again.
As of now, the East High Chess Club meets Thursdays and Fridays in the North Library. As the club continues to expand, a new location for meetings will be necessary. At our meetings, we do what one would expect us to do: play chess! Beyond that, we emphasize friendly and respectful attitudes; one can best think of the chess club meetings as being a place where students can exchange ideas and constructively build up each other in chess experience and confidence. I try to ban the notion of chess in our club as being a ‘win/lose’ game. The reasoning comes from the fact that the king never gets captured in the end, thus the game technically never allows for a ‘true’ winner. When the king is checkmated, it allows the player to learn of one way not to be checkmated in the future; the king is then freed and the game starts over. Thus, instead, I want others to think of the result of any chess game as always being a ‘gain.’ Both players gain something, whether it be discovering a new way to approach the game or gaining confidence in the current style one is already playing. It is a running theme in the club of instead of asking “did you win?” ask something like “how did the game make you feel?” Chess games can feel very exciting or intense, but those characteristic experiences, the experiences that give chess its color and life, are lost whenever one has to give the absolute ‘win/loss’ response. The point is that when the club plays chess, we do so to build each other’s’ confidence and to share each other’s experiences. Anyone can attend our meetings and come out of them feeling that they have ‘gained’ something rather than having ‘won’ or ‘lost.’
While this happens within our meetings, we also prepare to share what we have collectively learned to outside of East. This is the part in which we try to follow our mission of revitalizing chess playing in Wichita to and beyond what it once was through East High’s participation in the Wichita chess community. Although scarce, we try to attend any chess tournaments available in Wichita and the Wichita area. Playing at a chess tournament is completely optional, but it is highly recommended since not only does it strengthen chess participation in Wichita, it also allows for an insightful and bonding experience for the club!
If anyone does wish to attend our meetings that are held in the North Library, remember not to have food or drinks above the bookshelves!
My Time with Chess
I began playing chess recreationally and competitively in second grade. I was fortunate to have started at a time when Wichita was a center for chess, allowing me the opportunity to expand my chess experiences and confidence without resistance. Over the years, I have accumulated hundreds of awards, including trophies, medals, plaques, and monetary prizes. My parents were integral in providing me the support as I continued to follow my passion in chess. As for chess itself, I love the brain stimulation; the deep thought and concentration that chess requires helps me to exercise my reasoning capabilities and even empathy. Not only must I think for myself, I must think like my opponent as 
well. It is thrilling to play knowing that your opponent is a human that is as clever as you are. I also love chess for the opportunities it gives me. I am able to travel far and meet new people who have the same passion for chess that I have. What I ‘gained’ throughout my chess-playing are my personal experiences, confidence, and knowledge of my potential.
