It helps him to think ahead and plan

Library hosts chess club
BY LINDSAY KOTTMANN COMMUNITY RECORDER STAFF WRITER

FLORENCE – Chess enthusiasts no longer have to leave Florence to meet other players for a casual game.

A small group has been meeting the past four Wednesday evenings at the Florence Branch Library for play for all experience levels.

Librarian Scott Beran, who oversees the group, said the chess club was created in response to popular demand.

“Some people had … expressed an interest because there’s nothing else around here,” he said.
The age of participants ranges from children in grade school to older adults.

Starlette Fryman has brought her 9-year-old son to play almost every week since the club started. She learned the game with him about three years ago and thinks it is good for his development.

“It takes a lot of time to understand the strategies. It helps him to think ahead and plan. That’s something that kids don’t get these days,” she said.

Beran, who plays chess recreationally, said he usually feels calmer after a game, and chess might help kids sit and pay attention to something consistently in an era of video games and TV.

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