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Some are in it for the mental agility. Some are in it for the silence. And yet, for some, the reasons for playing chess are simpler: the victory.
"I am an extremely competitive person, so whenever I have a chance to beat someone, I like to take it," senior Dillon Karras said.
Whatever their reasons for playing, close to 100 people, including students, faculty and Sioux Falls community members, came out to the Morrison Commons on Saturday, Feb. 6, for the 2010 Sioux Falls Winter Open Chess Tournament. Including three sections of play—open, reserve and beginner—the event was co-sponsored by the Sioux Empire Chess Foundation and the Augustana Chess Club.
Karras, faculty adviser Sam Ogdie and Chess Club president senior Michael Stutelberg combined forces and played as a team in the U1200 open section and went on to take first place. In the individual competition, Karras took first place and Stutelberg fourth.
For Ogdie, however, playing chess is not about winning tournaments.
"I love to play chess," Ogdie said. "It's a game that allows a person to entirely forget life's busy schedule and also to share quiet time with another person."
Outside of the cutthroat competitions, the Augustana Chess Club strives to invite all students, faculty and staff to learn and play chess, and to learn more about chess' history and culture.
"It offers a chance to meet with students and professors outside of academics and participate in friendly competition," Stutelberg said.
This is not to say that the game of chess does not have its fair share of stress. There are millions of derivations of each individual game, and it is rare that two games ever repeat. This element of unexpectedness and surprise forces players to think abstractly and innovatively.
"The game is quick to learn but hard to master," Stutelberg said. "It offers the opportunity to promote practice of divergent thinking."
Karras agrees. "I love playing physical sports, but it is important to train the mind as well as the body, and chess certainly improves cognitive functions."
In chess, each player develops his or her own strategy of playing. Despite different playing styles, each player tends to focus on gaining control of the center, forcing the opponent to the sides of the board.
"It is so critical to keep your opponent playing defensively," Karras said. "If you always make a move that forces them to react, then they are playing your game, not their own."
Upcoming events for the Augustana Chess Club include a second Sioux Falls Open Chess tournament on March 6-7, in the Morrison Commons 3-in-1 room. Any Augustana student or faculty member participating will receive free entrance fee and their national dues paid.
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