MONTICELLO – Checkmate! The pieces were in motion and strategy was the name of the game as the Robert J. Kaiser Middle School (RJK) chess club hosted its very first county-wide chess tournament on Friday, May 16. Students from the Liberty Central School District, Fallsburg, Central School District and Tri-Valley  Central School District joined the RJK students for an afternoon of rooks rolling, knights leaping and queens dominating the board.

RJK social studies teacher George Brandes, who is the chess club advisor, was excited to organize the event, and hopes to expand both the club and the tournament over the next few years. Any students interested in joining can reach out to Mr. Brandes for more  information.

This opening gambit for the chess club was anything but minor – it was a major win.