Working the weekend means chess with 130 kids for Sen. Sanders
April 25, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., takes in a move by a young player at Youth Chess Day last weekend in Randolph. Photo courtesy Sen. Sanders’ office.
Home for a weekend break from Congressional duties, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt.), sat down for some brinksmanship of a different kind as he hosted his second annual Youth Chess Day.
Sanders on Saturday, April 22, welcomed more than 130 students from across Vermont to the event at Vermont State University in Randolph. For the second year in a row, youngsters from grades 1 through 12 took part in both learn-to-play sessions and a recreational tournament for experienced players, including Vermont’s senior senator.
“One of the reasons we are holding this second-annual Chess Day is that we want children to exercise and play ball, but we also want you to have smart minds,” Sanders told the crowd of all ages gathered in a gymnasium. “We want you to learn how to think and to strategize. And chess is a game that has been around for a very, very long time, and it is played all over the world – it’s a universal game. So, what we look forward to today is for you all to compete and enjoy yourselves.”
Photos courtesy Sen. Bernie Sanders’ office.
Sanders thanked all of the parents who brought their children for the occasion and he thanked chess advisors from the UVM and Middlebury College chess clubs for helping organize the event.
For many of the kids taking part, getting to play chess was the big attraction, moreso than getting to meet Sanders. “I came out here today because having a competition like this is a great way to build a chess community and meet other kids that play chess,” said eighth grader Ada. Her favorite part of chess, she said, is that “each new match you get to know a lot about the game and meet new friends, and it’s a really fun game to play.”