Drop by the Galleria on any Sunday or Thursday morning between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and you’ll most likely see a group of men hunched over chess boards, plotting their next moves. The Southern Knights Chess Club meets informally each week in the public spaces of the Galleria. The group has no president, no rules, no dues. The only requirement: a love of chess and a desire to play.
If you pause to watch, you may be handed a small card with the group’s contact information and the times they get together. The cards were made up by member Tim Enright to encourage interested bystanders to come back and play. The group also meets at the Bridgeville Public Library on Wednesdays, 11 to 2. People also find the Southern Knights through their Facebook page or the Bridgeville Public Library website.
“We’re free, we’re casual, we welcome anyone,” said Enright, a retired electrician who lives in Bethel Park. “We’re very grateful to the Galleria for providing space not only for us, but all the other groups that use that area.”
Ric Stotter, Bower Hill Road, moved to Mt. Lebanon from Michigan seven years ago to be near his daughter and her family. “As a retired person from another state, it’s not that easy to get involved with new friends and activities,” he said. “The chess group is an opportunity to meet people. The group is like a community.”
Art Levitt of Scott Township has fostered that community since the group formed in 2010, when he was invited to join two friends who were playing at a café in Bridgeville. As others joined, the group moved to the Bridgeville Library and then expanded to the Galleria on other days.
“I played tennis for 34 years, but at 71 I need something a little less physical,” said Levitt, who is retired from a wholesale hardware business. “This gives me somewhere to go three days a week. I send out an email each week, with photos and news about who was there.”
He also leads a group that hikes after the Thursday gathering, usually in Bird Park or Gilfillan Farm. Members often eat lunch together, and once a year there’s a trip with spouses to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony at South Park.
“I found out about this chess club when I was looking toward retirement,” said attorney Richard Sandow, North Meadowcroft Avenue. “It’s a great thing. People are very friendly, there’s all different talent levels. The nice thing is you get to play with different people at different times. I’ve made lots of friends there.”
The group isn’t technically for teaching the game, but Enright says they’ll help anyone who already knows how to play. “Whether you’re very good or only average, you’ll find somebody who’s willing to play with you and help you.”
“By playing you get better,” said Sandow, who has played chess since the age of 8. “A lot of us have libraries of chess books and we’ll bring them in and share them with less experienced players. There’s lots of kibitzing. We watch other people’s games and afterwards make comments: ‘Well, have you thought about this move or this opening?’ But only in a positive way.”
Stotter agrees. “Observing is nice because you get some ideas, but also because in your mind you can see how the game is going without experiencing the consequences. You don’t risk anything!”
Many of those in the group have been playing the game since they were children. Some said they’ve come back to playing chess in middle or late adulthood as the demands of family and career decreased. Several attendees also play regularly in local tournaments, although they don’t represent the Southern Knights.
“The thing that I like about chess is there’s no luck involved,” said Enright. “It’s not like cribbage or cards. Chess never changes.”
“It’s intricate, every game is different,” said Stotter. “Every time you play a game, you learn something new.”
“In today’s world where things are done instantaneously, that’s not what chess is,” said Sandow. “It’s got rules, it follows patterns and logic. It also gives you a chance to interact in person with people and things. I know a lot of people play chess online now, but you don’t get the same personal touch. That’s what this chess club provides.”