For some Maricopa kids, finding a chess partner can be harder than learning the game. Kevelyn Tellez started a club to change that.

Tellez, founder and program director of the Piece of Life Youth Chess Club, said her son wanted to play chess but didn’t have anyone nearby to play with. She met head chess coach Ferdinando Fortuno, who goes by Coach Nino, at a nonprofit event in Phoenix, where he had set up a chess table.

“I said, ‘Hey, how would you like to come to Maricopa and teach some children chess?’” Kevelyn said.

Before launching the club, they held a free session at the Maricopa library to gauge interest. Kevelyn expected about five children to show up.

“That first day we had 15, and we didn’t have enough boards,” she said.

The response led to formal classes, which quickly filled. The first session drew 20 students, and the club has since reached capacity each month, with about 25 students participating monthly, Kevelyn said.

By early October, the club had reached 80 students, she said.

Building social connections

But the game is only part of the draw. Kevelyn said about half of the club’s students are homeschooled, and families have looked to the program for opportunities to socialize and connect with the community.

“When I facilitate the class, the children love socializing,” she said. “I’m going be honest with you; they love chess, but they love that they found someone who has the same interests as them, which otherwise they wouldn’t have.”

The club gives students a chance to practice more than chess, Kevelyn said. Along with learning strategy, they can work on communication, problem-solving and building relationships.

Learning life lessons

Coach Nino, who has played chess since he was 12, also wants students to learn how to handle setbacks. He said players can learn from losses rather than treating them as failures.

“I love, I love, I love losing, and that sounds weird, but you have to think about loss as learning,” he said. “So the more you’re learning, the better your chances at winning.”

The club initially held classes on Saturdays, but interest led organizers to add Thursday sessions. Kevelyn said they are also looking at additional space at Central Arizona College to offer more classes, including opportunities for age groups beyond children.

Eventually, the club hopes to introduce tournaments as students become more interested in competition, Coach Nino said.

For now, the focus is on helping students learn the game while keeping classes enjoyable.

“It’s a lot to learn, but we just want to make sure that it’s fun,” Coach Nino said. 

How to sign up

The Youth Chess Club offers four weeks of chess lessons for $50 per month. Chessboards are provided during sessions, though students are encouraged to bring their own.

Families can visit pieceoflife.org to look for Thursday and Saturday chess classes.