Crossing Harry Potter with Chess

Grandview chess club plays on a grand scale
By Jan Hill, Journal Correspondent Monday, January 14, 2008

What do you get when you cross Harry Potter with the game of chess? The “K-8 Incredibly Colossal, Unbelievably Humongous, Harry Potter Giant Human Chess Extravaganza,” held Saturday at Grandview Elementary School.

Approximately 22 students from Grandview, Robbinsdale, Corral Drive, and St. Elizabeth Seton elementary schools dressed in Harry Potter theme costumes and became giant chess pieces to play “blitz” or speed chess on a “gargantuan” board.

Although no chess experience was required, most of the participants are members of the chess clubs at their respective schools. Grandview counselor and chess coach Randy Christensen and his wife Cindy coordinated the event, and Christensen was pleased with the outcome.

“The kids stuck with it, had fun, and were excited about it,” he said. “I loved the teamwork that took place, the way the teams talked things out.” He said that the unique event also encourages creativity. “In regular chess, you don’t usually get to dress in costume and talk to your pieces.”

The players formed three teams, named for three of the four houses in the Harry Potter series: the Ravenclaws, Gryffindors, and Slytherins. Each team selected a “caller” whose responsibility was to tell the pieces where to move. The teams spread the duties around, a decision Christensen heartily approved of. “I really liked how they shared the responsibilities,” he said. “That was excellent, especially for the newer and younger kids.”

Grandview fifth-grader Lauren Loos, who has read the entire Harry Potter series, chose to dress as Luna Lovegood for the tournament. She likes chess for more than just playing the game. “It’s how I can make some new friends,” she said.

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