The Douglas County Public Library is partnering with the Douglas County Chess Club to bring chess to the library starting 3-5 p.m. April 5 and continuing at the Minden branch.
The club is intended for players ages 10 and above. Member meetings will cover chess strategies and include time for free play.
Those interested in learning the foundations of how to play chess are invited to attend free Saturday sessions at the Minden Library on April 20 and May 25 for an introductory lesson. Chess Club founder and president Chuck Johnson will lead the learning sessions from 2–4 p.m. and will also give demonstrations during Genoa Western Heritage Days on April 27; look for him at the giant life-size chess board in the children’s area.
A National Master of Chess, Johnson began playing at age 5 and participated in his first chess tournament, the San Diego Open, in 1968. Throughout the years, Johnson has played and placed in many chess competitions including the US Junior Open and the National Open; he also served as Captain of the US Army Chess Team from 1974-77.
After retiring from NASA, Johnson contemplated how he might share his lifelong enthusiasm for chess with others. He dreamed of starting a club as a way to give back to the community and offer an opportunity to enhance the enjoyment and appreciation of chess. He shared his vision with a group of other local chess enthusiasts and plans to form a club were soon underway.
The DC Chess Club was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2024. The club seeks to “foster the development of members by promoting the joy, education, and artistry of the game of chess,” with a goal “to create a safe and fun environment, where all ages of chess players can experience camaraderie and the intellectually stimulating benefits of chess.”
Annual membership dues are $20 for juniors 17 and younger, $40 for seniors 55 and older, and $50 for adults age 18-54. The club offers membership fee assistance if needed. Future club goals include creating a scholarship to support chess playing students in their higher education pursuits, helping fund player participation in amateur tournaments, and more.
For more information about the DC Chess Club, visit their webpage at douglaschess.org/ or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/people/Douglas-County-Chess-Club/61555757739630/.
Read books, earn burgers
Through April 22, the Douglas County Public Library offers in the In-N-Out Burger® Cover to Cover reading program for patrons age 4-12. Youth participants are eligible to earn a certificate for a free hamburger or cheeseburger for every five books they read, and each child may earn up to three certificates.
Sign up for the program at the Minden Library at 1625 Library Lane or the Zephyr Cove Library at 233 Warrior Way. Parking is available in the upper and lower lots at the Zephyr Cove branch.
Connect with the DCPL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, library.douglascountynv.gov, or call 775-782-9841.
Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.
