Chess has been around since the sixth century and originated in India during the Gupta Dynasty. Now, more than 1,500 years later, it is played across 204 countries. Practicing every Tuesday, the Archer Chess Club is a extracurricular club that brings students interested in the historic game together.
The club traveled to Chicago, Illinois, to compete in the All-Girls Nationals, the largest and most prestigious all-girls chess tournament in the United States. There, they played among more than 600 participants from April 10-12. Chess Club Coach Jay Stallings said the tournament is a major event for the club that invites players from across the country and beyond.
“This tournament has girls from every state in the United States and even had some players come from outside the United States to compete,” Stallings said. “They competed in divisions by age group: under 18, under 16, 14, 12 and all the way down. We had three teams: one in under 18, one under 16 and one under 14. Our girls were playing up mostly, meaning they were competing against higher-rated competition.”
In her second year at the Chicago tournament, Chess Club member Morgan McClinton (’26) said she came in with a much better sense of the time and concentration the event demands. Although the team managed to see the Chicago Bean and other landmarks, she said most of their trip revolved around chess.
“We pretty much just eat, sleep and play chess all day,” McClinton said. “I like how challenging it is. A lot of people won’t say that, but I actually find it pretty fun. Even after a loss, as long as I played a good game, I feel pretty proud of myself.”
Beyond the competition itself, the trip also gave the players a chance to connect outside their usual practices, Chess Club member Kylie Tan (’27) said. She said teammates had more time to relax and get to know one another in a different setting beyond their after‑school practice sessions.
“My favorite part of the trip was getting to know some of my chess teammates more on a deeper level,” Tan said. “Obviously we have practice after school, but we’re just playing chess. So getting to hang out with them and see them in a different environment outside of school is really cool.”
Given the size of the competition and the fact that many club members were playing above their usual age groups, Stallings said the tournament was a real test for the team. However, he said they rose to the challenge. In a chess competition, if a competitor beats a higher-rated player, they gain more points, whereas if they beat a lower-rated player, they gain fewer points.
“They did well, gaining several hundred rating points as a group, which is always good when you come back with a net point gain,” Stallings said. “I’m proud of the girls — they worked hard and they were really supportive of each other throughout the entire event.”
For Tan, the tournament also served as a reminder of why she joined the club in the first place. Even though she has not been playing chess for long, she said she enjoys the after-school practices and the chance to sit down and play.
“I actually joined on a whim. I had friends in the club and I was like ‘You know what, why not?’ It seems like a cool thing to join,” Tan said. “But what I love about chess is that it’s really mentally stimulating.
