GREENFIELD — Greenfield Chess Club held its first meeting since before the COVID-19 pandemic began, led by 90-year-old veteran chess master Herbert Hickman.
Hickman and his daughter, retired Montague Library Director Linda Hickman, met a small gathering of chess players on Nov. 10 at Greenfield Games for casual tabletop matches. Although turnout amounted to a humble handful of people in the club’s first meeting back, the quiet evening was of considerable significance to Herbert, who has predominantly played chess remotely over the past decade.
The Hickmans hope continued meetings, now held weekly from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, will not only nurture Greenfield’s chess culture, but bring back a human element to the elder gamesman’s lifelong passion.
Hickman began his chess journey at the age of 15 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania when he joined his high school chess club.
“My father was always smart, but he grew up in his older brother’s shadow,” Linda said. “Chess was the first thing he found that he was better than his brother at.”
He recalled that after winning a championship in Pittsburg at age 17, he went on to compete in competitions such as the Pennsylvania Junior Championship, National Junior Championship, U.S. Open Chess Championship, and Arizona State Championship, winning the latter before shifting primarily to playing via postcard later in his adulthood.
“I have been enjoying mainly chess by mail over the last 10 years or so,” Hickman said.
He said he appreciates how postal and electronic methods have granted “a lot of flexibility” for players to stay connected with each other, an aspect of chess that Hickman has held dear.
“You get to meet a variety of people,” he said about playing. “It’s handy.”
Linda noted that the social aspect of playing chess was motivation to start the chess club up again, emphasizing the importance of in-person connection.
“Part of why I wanted to bring it back was for socialization,” Hickman said. “With COVID, we haven’t been together for so long and this is a good chance to connect.”
Bringing people together wasn’t the only motivation, however. Linda also hopes the Greenfield Chess Club can transcend antiquation and bring fun to a younger generation of players.
“Beyond the socialization, it’s an opportunity to encourage chess for all ages once the kids are vaccinated,” she said.
Calder Rossi, a veteran chess player who once ran the club, said the primary reason he’s excited for the club’s restart is that he’ll soon get to bring his 9-year-old son as he had been pre-pandemic.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my son here when he gets vaccinated,” Rossi said.
He emphasized that for him, the importance of chess supersedes it being a fun game.
“In my own personal life,” Rossi said, “when I was feeling out of sorts, I’d always come back to chess.”
Hickman agreed, crediting chess for helping to keep his mind sharp.
“It’s a very helpful hobby,” he said. “It teaches people how to concentrate and really focus.”
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.