By Jackson Whiteker
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Junior Rostam Razban

When did you learn to play chess?

I used to play chess when I was six with my family when I was bored. I joined a school chess team. I then took ten years off from playing chess. Then, I started coming to Chess Club.

How can someone improve his or her chess game?

That’s an easy answer. You just have to play more games. Every game teaches you something.

How have you improved Chess Club?

We’ve obviously done in-studio announcements. We’ve also done pizza days. Recently, we had a March Madness tournament where the person with the most accurate bracket won a free chess board.

What are some characteristics Chess Club Members should have?

Everyone would fit in. I guess, you’d have to be smart. Chess takes a lot of intellectual ability. Some people are really energetic and crazy while others are quiet.

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Junior Andrew Aisen

What made you change the way you market the club?

Well, at the beginning of the year we didn’t do any announcements whatsoever and there was only like five or six members including myself and Rostam. After, we started doing those announcements, just in a witty, kind of humorous way. It kind of got a lot of people, especially underclassmen, to come in and just see what it’s all about. 

How will you improve Chess Club Next year?

Well, we still don’t have as many members as we could. I plan to get around 30 or 40 members, try and get more events, and just try and make it as friendly as I can for every student at Carmel High School. 

What’s the best part of being one of the leaders of the club?

It’s just as everyone says, the stereotypical high school thing is if you’re the “whatever of chess club” you’re kind of a loser, but I kind of feel that I’ve changed that definition at Carmel High School and I pride myself in that.

How much has chess club changed this year?

Well, it’s quadrupled in members, we now actually have events, and basically everyone at Carmel High School recognizes it as the best club.