Chess brings generations together in Port Hueneme
PORT HUENEME, Calif. — A game of chess is bringing together two players who are a century apart.
One is 106 years old. The other is just six.
Their match in Port Hueneme is highlighting how chess can help keep minds sharp, teach critical thinking and create connections across generations.
“Good luck. Who's gonna win?” one person asked as the game began.
While the two players have more than 100 years of life experience between them, age seemed to disappear once they sat down at the chessboard.
For kids, chess can be a lesson in slowing down, thinking ahead and working through challenges.
“At first, when I didn't know how to play, I was like, ‘I can't do it. Like, I can't win or something,’” one young player said. “And then when you keep playing, it gives you experience and then you win.”
Alexis Minie with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme said the intensity of the games has been fun to watch — especially as kids focus on something other than a screen.
“The strategy that it teaches, the patience that it teaches, and it really just shows you to think three moves ahead in life,” Minie said.
Chess teacher and author Art Mortell, 86, helps set up chess clubs around the region. He said the game is a powerful way to teach kids critical thinking.
“Whoever can think the most moves in the future invariably wins,” Mortell said.
Mortell said he often asks children whether they would rather win and learn nothing or lose and get better.
“They always say, ‘I want to lose and get better,’” he said.
Mortell also believes chess can provide a positive outlet for children dealing with anxiety and stress.
“Chess may be the greatest positive addiction that can be, particularly for children,” Mortell said.
For older players, the game offers a different kind of workout.
“It teaches a lot of thought. It requires a lot of thought,” said John Randolph, a chess player.
When asked if there are lessons from chess he applies to everyday life, Randolph simply answered, “No.”
And apparently, chess comes with a sense of humor, too.
Across the region, the game is helping keep minds active and bringing generations together — one chess piece at a time.
