Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, is only 90 minutes from the District of Columbia, but as a town of 750 residents it can feel like a world away. Chess provides common ground between our communities.
High School Spanish teacher Pedro Miguel, an experienced tournament player from Spain, has created a successful chess team that finished second in their state last year. They have higher ambitions for this year.
To help them, we donated more than 20 books to help them start a chess library in their community. We also plan to stage a virtual match between their students and ours. Because they are not so far away from us, they will try to come to DC for an in-person tournament.
Chess is universal and can bridge cultures. Whether opponents are rural, small town, suburban, or urban, no matter their politics, without regard to their native languages, we can all enjoy playing the game together.
Sr. Miguel (with the help of his daughter Itaca) accepts chess books to start a library