A Legacy in checkmate: More than just a game

Photo by Braylan Enscoe, Staff Photographer

For the second year in a row, on April 26 Chapman Chess Club hosted a special chess tournament that carries a deeper meaning than just strategy and competition. 

The tournament was established in memory of Chapman Chess Club’s founder, a class of 2013 math major and physics minor, alumnus Leonardo Eifert, who passed away due to complications following a car crash in 2016.

In his honor, the club’s funds go towards the Leonardo Eifert Scholarship for Imaginative Applications of Mathematics, an endowed scholarship that provides financial support to students passionate about mathematics. 

“This tournament wouldn’t be possible without Dr. Fred Caporaso (who has a doctorate in food science and technology). He has always been, and continues to be the backbone of our club,” said Olivia Marr, a junior health sciences major and co-president of Chapman Chess Club.

As the club’s longtime mentor, Caporaso’s dedication has helped keep Eifert’s spirit alive at Chapman through the tournaments.

“The Chapman Chess Club is more than just a student organization — it’s a family,” Marr said. 

The club welcomes anyone interested in chess, from undergraduates and graduate students to faculty and community members. 

“We also collaborate with nearby colleges like Long Beach and Pomona (Fullerton, Orange Coast College, Pomona, Point Loma Nazrin, Riverside, and UC Irvine). These guest matches bring a great energy to our club and offer a wonderful chance to connect with other chess communities,” said Marr. 

Growing up in a small town in the woods of Maine, Marr found an oasis through chess, which later became a special outlet for her. 

“I was just two years old when I learned how each piece moved, and before long, every holiday  became an opportunity for a family chess match,” said Marr. 

Her family’s chess set, first gifted to her grandmother and then passed down to her mother, endures as a proud emblem of heritage and the initial inspiration behind her pursuit of the game. 

Dom Brugioni, senior economics and data science major and co-president of Chapman Chess Club, notes that the nature of the tournament is a mix between casual and competitive.

"We want people to have fun, but also feel like they're playing for something,” said Brugioni. 

During the tournament, the club used the Swiss-Style format, where players are paired based on their scores and rankings. Unlike individual matches, tournaments have multiple rounds, a set structure and include prizes or rankings for top players.

One of the participants, Nathan Grabias, a freshman mathematics major, experienced the tournament for the first time. 

With chess idols like Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov and Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, Grabias has always been inspired by players around him. 

Joining a small chess club in elementary school and finding inspiration in his coach, his passion for chess has led him to incorporating the game in his travels, connecting with others and enjoying the community it fosters.

“You can go anywhere in the world and there's a good chance people play chess. You know, even if you don't speak the same language, you can still play chess,” said Grabias. 

As the Leonardo Eifert tournament came to an end, Grabias was announced third place winner of the opening tournament. 

“Historically, the club has been male-dominated, and as the first female president, it’s been meaningful to see that start to shift,” said Marr. “In just the past six months, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in women attending meetings, and we now have two incredible women serving on our executive board.

Photo Courtesy of Delaney Peterson

Delaney Peterson, a junior majoring in elementary education, serves as the secretary and creative designer for the club. 

With her inspiration to start playing chess being the fictional character Beth Harmon, the main protagonist in the Walter Tevis novel “The Queen's Gambit” and the adapted Netflix drama miniseries, Peterson was immediately drawn to the female representation in such a male-dominated game. 

“There's just no women in chess,” said Peterson.

With only one or two female players at the tournament, Peterson believes one of the main reasons is the fear of judgment and stereotypes. 

“You don't really see any women out here, so it's harder for women to break through,” said Peterson. “I feel like it would be so much fun to have a women's-only league or something, because then more women would be inclined to join.” 

In moving forward, Marr hopes to grow the club’s presence and increase visibility on campus.

With installed chess tables located in the corner of Argyros Forum where people can rent chess sets for at the Student Union Desk, and matches held once a week during the club’s meeting times, Thursday from 4-6 p.m., (varies per semester) Marr envisions a growing participation within the chess community. 

“I remember during one of our Piazza days, someone told me we should have chess out all the time because of how much it brought people together,” said Marr. That kind of feedback really sticks with us. It reflects exactly what we’re trying to do: use chess as a way to create community and build spaces on campus that people want to join and enjoy.”