Seeing Art in Chess | Local Entertainment

“Chess teaches you a structured way of thinking. It’s great for math and other subjects that require progression,” says Dan Joelson, a 17-year-old Wyoming chess champion.

“But the better you play chess, the less that happens,” he said. “The more it becomes — well, for me, the closer it becomes to art. You have to think outside the boundaries of a simple game, and you have to be creative. That’s what makes games really fun.”

In December, Jolsen tied for third with three other players at the Regional Championships in Boise, Idaho. He is the only competitor in Wyoming.

One of the three players tied was a 13-year-old junior chess player and ranking expert named Kaustubn Kodihalli. The ranking is strictly based on talent. Junior players are generally considered to be under the age of 18 and may play against adults.

“In this game, I played a very strong young player, he was only 13 years old. He was the champion of Idaho, and we ended up with a tie,” he said.

As a child at Casper, Jolsen first learned to play chess from his older brother.

“He taught me how to play so he could beat me,” he said with a laugh. “The boys club had a really good coach and I’d show up on Tuesday nights to practice. Within six months, I was killing my brother because I was coaching.”

Jolson started learning the game at age 12, and by 17 he was a state champion.

Now, decades later, he is working toward a master’s degree.

According to the United States Chess Federation’s rating system, chess players are ranked on a points system and are called experts, grandmasters or even grandmasters. While different countries and organizations sometimes use different systems, most titles are awarded for life.

Rather than making chess a thing of the past, Jolsen hopes to generate interest in the active Cheyenne Chess Club so he won’t be the only player in Wyoming to compete in the Boise Chess Tournament.

The six rounds of the World Chess Federation and United States Chess Federation include two grandmasters, an international grandmaster and several other grandmasters from Idaho, California and Michigan. Other international competitors, including one from Moscow, also joined in.

Jolsen, who currently practices two hours a day, hopes to see more Wyomingers compete in regional, state and national events.

“I’m interested in helping Wyoming’s junior players if they want to get better and potentially play in these events. I can help connect them with the right people and provide coaching if necessary,” he said.

Similar to Wyoming, Idaho’s chess community is spread out across the state rather than “a cohesive bunch of organizers sitting One room to come up with new proposals” goals and work out the details. ”

Lundy works in Idaho and regionally as World Chess Federation National Arbitrator and USCHES Federation Senior Tournament Director, assisting other clubs with their tournaments.

“I’m doing everything I can to work with local, state and regional organizers to implement these plans for the future,” he said. “One of my goals is to build a cadre of international players in Boise and throughout Idaho. This will allow us to attract corporate sponsorships and bring stronger out-of-state players to our events. In turn, this will Help our players get stronger by playing against these non-Idaho players.”

Jolsen said he has similar hopes for Wyoming’s chess community. He said he was willing to connect any interested parties with resources in the state and that he could take classes. The best way to get involved, he says, is to find a USCF event to get involved in and start preparing with classes and exercises.

“If you want to play chess, you can go to the US Chess Federation and there will be a list of local tournaments and local clubs,” he said. “As far as Wyoming goes, it’s very limited.”

Wyoming’s largest event, the 2023 Sheridan Open, will be held May 5-7 at the Ramada Hotel in Sheridan. Lundy will be in charge of the international segment.