“Check” This Out: First Newman Chess Tournament is a Great Success!
Leonidas Wagner ‘25 and Kevin Steward ‘24 face off during the chess tournament. Other participants of the tournament observe (Photo by Eric Lechpammer ‘23).
Under new leadership in the 2022-23 academic year, the chess club hosted its first blitz tournament to popular reception.
Late after school, the basement of Newman typically has a desolate, quiet atmosphere after most students have left the building. But on December 5, 2022, the vibe was decidedly more vibrant, with high concentration and sudden bursts of volume let out after a satisfying win or a smart play. Not to forget an assortment of refreshments to go along with the competition. Across six chess boards, about a dozen competitors faced off in the first chess tournament of the year, hosted by Newman’s very own chess club.
The games took on a blitz format, featuring multiple rounds and fast time control.
Club advisor and French language instructor Mr. Mark Maysky, a self-described hobby player, described the key motivator in planning the tournament as “getting people interested in some competition. As soon as we had a list of players, we moved on ahead and got some supplies.”
The tournament featured some upgraded chess gear from the previous academic year, including the usage of dedicated chess clocks rather than digital stopwatches to keep time. “Participation is better now. I would say overall it’s much better organized, courtesy of our two new captains,” Mr. Maysky said.
Mr. Maysky is referring to none other than sophomore chess captains Aidan Jablenski and Oliver Romanovsky ‘25, who took on the leadership role at the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year. Mr. Maysky stated that he was impressed with both students, noting how “Oliver has really taken it upon himself to become a leader in this club, as has Aidan who has been more on the publicity side. They’ve been putting in a lot of time into all of this, so, very good [work] from both of them.”
Romanovsky, who plays chess on a competitive level outside of Newman, described the process behind organizing the tournament as “very smooth” and said that the collaboration between him and Jablenski “has worked out very nicely.” Romanovsky echoed Mr. Maysky in crediting Jablenski’s publicity skills for contributing to the high turnout. “[Aidan] has made many people turn out to the chess tournament and got a lot of people more interested,” Romanovsky said.
Chess club members have also responded positively to the co-captainship of Jablenski and Romanovsky. Sophomore Nicholas Ying ‘25, who has been in the chess club for two years, enjoyed the tournament for the opportunity to compete alongside “so many likeminded peers, just playing chess and having fun.”
For students interested in getting involved in chess, Romanovsky described the chess club as “the perfect place to start. We have players who are just learning [to play], and it’s a great opportunity to grow and learn more about chess. It’s a great sport, and for those of you who don’t believe it’s a sport, it’s a great game.”
James Lanfer ‘25 plays against Nicholas Ying ‘25 while Jules Hohmann ‘24 plays against Eowyn Mello ‘26. Players rotated opponents during timed matches, giving participants the opportunity to play against competitors of various skill levels (Photo by Lechpammer).
