Chess is all about strategy, and an HBCU chess club is learning to master the game. Howard University’s chess club has been around since the early 1900s but hasn’t been active in recent years until a student decided to bring new life to the club in 2020.
“One of our students reinstituted the club and got it reinstated, ” said Nisa Muhammad, the team’s adviser. Muhammad is the Assistant Dean of Religious Life and an avid chess player. Since leading the team, she’s watched the students grow and learn.
The team began competing in prestigious competitions, including the Pan Am Collegiate Chess Tournament. They entered the online tournament back in 2021 with hardly any experience and won the under 1400 section, the greatest upset of a lower ranked player over a higher ranked player.
During the in-person competition the following year, they lost every game. “I said I have to find the right coaches for them because they’re all serious about chess,” Muhammad said.
She brought in Jerald Times, the 2021 Chess Educator of the Year, and he’s continued to work as their coach. The team also had a chance to learn from the 12-year-old Nigerian prodigy, Tani Adewumi.
They entered the 2023 Pan Am Games again, this time ranked No. 43, but by the time it was open, their team A was ranked 8th. “I’m really looking at how we can advance and do more in the world of chess,” Muhammad added.
Last month, they continued their rise to the top during the inaugural HBCU Chess Classic, put together by the first Black Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley, and The Black Chess Odyssey Society, taking home first place wins in the individual and team categories.
Their president, Malik Castro-DeVarona, who won his first tournament in kindergarten, said it’s been a rewarding experience and he couldn’t be happier with the progress his team has made.
“I think we’re in a really good position to just balloon and be really successful next year. The critical analysis that chess gives you really comes into your day to day,” he added.
Castro-DeVarona also offers tutoring for anyone looking to learn and expand their interests and hopes to see more Black and Brown kids give it a try.
“One of my favorite takeaways from the game is no matter your position in life, you have to make the best move you can given your situation.”
