There are clubs dedicated to the classic game of logic at each elementary school, but Extended Learning Program (XLP) teachers and chess instructors Nicole Holman Lankelma and Beth Koester — who run three clubs apiece — said the numbers have been whittled down throughout the year as some players stick with it, and others decide it’s not for them. Nonetheless, those who made it to Wednesday’s ‘Chess-tival’ were treated to the chance to compete against fellow enthusiasts in friendly games while also enjoying some pizza and watching the chess-themed Pixar short film “Geri’s Game” before heading back to class for the afternoon.

This was the third year of the event, and Holman Lankema projected that it was the biggest one yet.

“It’s great to just have (the kids) be able to interact. They’ve already got something in common with learning chess through the chess club all year long,” she said.

As they progress in the club, students learn the pieces, the moves and then specific strategies, and the Chess-tival is a culmination of all the hard work they’ve put into it.

“It is a tournament, but there’s nobody eliminated. There’s no shame board that you go on, and so it gives them a little more confidence to participate,” Holman Lankema said.

Some of the kids have gotten so interested in the game that they’re spending their free time on YouTube researching strategies and coming back to the XLP teachers to ask how they work and how they can incorporate them in future games.

“There are other chess events — like there was one at Denver Elementary and things that I gave my kids notes to if they wanted. I have one family that got the online chess subscription for the kids, so the kids can take it as far as they want,” Koester said. “A lot of times, we’ll say ‘You can play at Lenihan if they have a chess club’ and let them know. Some of them really like using strategies and learning, and some of them are more social.”

Holman Lankema feels that learning chess helps students in about every other subject in school while also helping to build social skills and sportsmanship, and Koester noted the critical thinking and analytical advantages it provides.

“There’s a lot of academic value. The kids who come to our clubs feel really special. This is their thing. You’ll hear them say ‘Oh, I asked for a chessboard for Christmas’ or ‘I beat my grandpa,’ so it just has a lot of benefits. So really, thanks to the teachers of each building, fourth grade teachers making efforts in their schedules and things like that,” Koester said before addressing a student passing by. “We like chess, don’t we?”

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.