Calculated Moves
Shortly after I started working at Cross Keys Village in October 2019, villager Al Karasa shared with me his desire to find or grow more chess players on campus. At the time, Al played regularly with a few faithful opponents alongside the main Harmony Ridge hallway. Oftentimes, passersby would stop and comment: “I used to play chess” or “I’ve always wanted to learn chess.” Al felt certain there was a potential group of chess players on the premises, eager to be engaged.
I was in absolute agreement, and in early 2020 I suggested Al offer a Discovery class to teach new players while also refreshing the game for rusty fans. Al loved the idea and we began to plan. As we all know, the year 2020 had other plans and we put a hold on the idea until earlier this year. Having resumed hallway chess, Al was hearing the same “I used to…” or “I’ve always wanted to…” refrain. He reminded me of the chess Discovery class and we decided to put it on the March calendar. More than 20 people attended as Al presented an introduction to basic chess skills to a rapt audience via a PowerPoint presentation. Al concluded the class by offering personalized coaching to anyone who was interested.
After a few weeks spent on one-on-one coaching sessions, Al asked if we could offer a chess workshop and, again, I couldn’t agree fast enough. We held an exploratory chess workshop in our new Gathering Room for 16 players, of varied levels of skill and experience. We agreed this was something to continue on a regular basis, and I reserved the room for a couple of hours, beginning at 1 p.m. every Tuesday. Our recurring chess workshop is open to all and no sign-up is required. Al continues to coach, moving from table to table and sharing his strategies with the players. Al’s hunch and his vision came to fruition and exceeded our expectations. In spite of unexpected obstacles, Al’s delayed dream became a reality. Just like in chess, the careful moves we made, from the beginning and along the way, determined the eventual success. We’re already discussing plans for what’s next – a tournament, or another beginners’ class.
There are so many ways that we can connect. Hobbies, interests, curiosities, pastimes – can all provide a base for connection. I have a number of suggestions for new connections I’ll be sharing in the coming months and I look forward to seeing how they are received. When a specific idea is championed by a villager, as Al did with chess, it is more than likely we are to score a connection “checkmate”!
Holly Fetting – Director of Life Enrichment