Spending quality family time

Family spends quality time playing chess
By Cain Madden The Natchez Democrat
Published Thursday, April 29, 2010

NATCHEZ — A family chess dynasty is emerging on Union Street.

And there are chessboards the family has won in nearly every room of the house to prove it.

Maya Vollmer, 15, and siblings Quinn, 13, Henry, 11, and Tess, 9, all compete in chess tournaments, both local and state, along with their parents Jeffery and Rachel Vollmer.

All of the Vollmer children have been playing chess since they were young, but Maya was exceptional, Rachel said.

“We have pictures of Maya as an infant in front of a chess board,” Rachel said. “By (age 1), she knew how the pieces moved and by (age 3) she could play.”

Part of the reason Maya and Quinn like playing so much is because it gives them quality time with their father, who leaves home early and gets in late because he works in Baton Rouge.

Jeffery said he plays every night, and if one of his children is interested, he will set up chess puzzles for them to figure out.

“They can usually find the result,” he said. “We have a good time together, and it is not spent mindlessly, like watching TV.”

Here is the full article.