1st Annual Cleveland Eastside Chess Tournament

Progress with Chess and East Cleveland Public Library organized event to help encourage, promote tournament chess in community

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — A first of its kind has made its way to East Cleveland Public Library, and it’s giving kids and even adults a unique opportunity to learn a carefully skilled game.

Organizers call it the Eastside Chess Tournament, where dozens gathered to put their skills to the test.

Progress with Chess and the East Cleveland Public Library organized the event to help encourage and promote tournament chess in the community.

They also hosted it to give players in the community even more exposure.

“I love chess. I’ve been playing chess since I was a child. I got more acclimated with it in the more recent three to four years, since then I’ve been studying and the ability to give back chess, especially in a community like East Cleveland, it’s very important to the youth,” said Assistant Chess Instructor Darian Hodge.

“Chess is an activity that knows no language, no race, knows no age. A child can play an adult and that’s very common. It’s never too late to learn the game, so if anybody was interested, there are multiple ways to learn,” said Chief Tournament Director Roy – Allen Bumpers.

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