Clash of the (Kids) Chess Titans

Chess tacticians of all ages, from kindergarten to elementary school, gathered at Thursday for this week's chess tournament.

“We hold the tournaments here at the library every Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m.,” said Laura Weinbrom, Head of Child Services. “It's open to all kids of all ages, and it's simply an opportunity for them to get together and play chess.”

According to Weinbrom, the library also provides six weekly lessons every Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. for children in the third to sixth grades. Weinbrom said that all 24 slots for class registration were filled last week, proving the lesson's popularity amongst the youth.

Christopher Matturri, captain of the Newark Academy Chess Team, teaches the classes. Matturri, a senior in high school, has played chess since he was 5 and has competed in local and national tournaments. This is his third year teaching chess at the library.

“When I was first starting out, I basically just began asking different places if they wanted a chess instructor,” said Matturi. “The library in Chatham said they had a position available, so I've been teaching here since.”

“Chris also went out of his way to donate chessboards and pieces to the library,” said Barbara Matturri, Chris' mother. “He really wanted to teach, and the library didn't have the money to go out and get chessboards, so Chris bought some and sent them in for donation.”

Matturri said his general process of teaching includes the introduction of how each chess piece functions on the playing field. The lessons also covers basic rules and proper etiquette, teaching kids to shake each others' hands and play fair.

Matturri then moves onto teaching simple strategies to find openings in their opponent's defense. From there, Matturri provides insight about advanced tactics and strategies that will ensure a successful checkmate.

“The tournaments are meant to apply and reinforce my students' tactics,” Matturri said. “I also try to match each kid's skill level with each other, and it can be kind of tough depending on how quickly each match ends.”

The tournaments themselves are considered examples of friendly competition. There are no prizes, ribbons or trophies; instead, the library rewards players by providing snacks and juice drinks for the children to share amongst themselves. 

“The only real reward that the kids get from these lessons and tournaments, is the fact that they are improving every week,” said Matturri. “For me, it's rewarding enough to see that my student's are learning and getting better at playing chess."