April 6, 2023  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

*Sen. Bernie Sanders with Youth Chess Day winners. Photo by Ryan Garvey*

They traveled from each of Vermont’s 14 counties on Saturday to gather at Vermont Technical College in Randolph for the first Youth Chess Day event hosted by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

More than 130 Vermont youngsters and their families made the trip to the inaugural event focused on introducing kids to the classic board game of strategy and skill. No surprise – Vermont’s senior senator is a chess fan.

“I hope very much that our first-ever ‘Youth Chess Day’ will result in an expansion in chess playing in Vermont. It’s important that our young people have strong and healthy bodies but it’s equally important that they develop their intellectual capabilities,” Sanders said. “Many studies have shown that chess is beneficial to brain development, focus, discipline, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning.”

Speaking at the event, Sanders thanked the parents and participants as well as the University of Vermont Chess Club, the Burlington High School Chess Club, and teacher and chess advisor Michelle Sagalchik for their support in coordinating the day. Sanders also told the crowd that he hoped to make this an annual event and to expand chess opportunities to schools all over the state.

The event featured a learn-to-play session for students in grades 1-8 trying out the game for the first time, a recreational tournament for more experienced players in grades 1-12, and lunch for everyone free of charge.

Sanders’ office after the event shared some comments from the day.

Barre parent, identified only as Melissa, attended with her 7-year-old son Siraj. “I started playing chess in middle school, and we were at a coffee shop in Barre one day and there was a chess board there and he's like, ‘Mom, can you teach me how to play?’ So we started playing and he liked it so much,” she said. “It helps him learn skills of sportsmanship, being a little patient. Sometimes Siraj's mind goes in a lot of different directions at one time…I think chess helps him kind of focus and he's learning every time we play.”

Siraj already enjoys the game. “It's fun that you get to learn how to control pieces and play and once you're really good, go to a tournament and maybe get first, second, or third!” he said.

UVM Chess Club member Jonah Johnson, who helped organize the event, called the attendance “monumental.”

“I am extremely excited for the future of chess in Vermont,” Johnson said. “I'm starting to see more and more kids showing up in tournaments that I go to – even kids that I play against – and they're only getting better and better. I think that the future looks good for chess!”

Photos below are by Ryan Garvey with Sen. Sanders’ office.