Being one of the only public Chess Clubs in Anchorage, the Title Wave Chess Club is a place where people of all ages come to enjoy chess in its purest form. The club is located on 1360 West Northern Lights Blvd, at the Title Wave Bookstore. The chess club is always open to anyone who just wants to play chess and is held on Fridays from five to nine P.M. It’s very informal, so no sign-up is needed. There are around 15 players who normally come and it can reach up to around 20-25 players on a good day. It does not matter whether you are new to the game or not, just come and play! Here are three individuals who come to play almost every Friday.

        The young Silas Cook, at 16 years old, comes here to play just for the chess! He is one of the younger regulars around the pool of ages. Wanting to become a part time player, Cook finds the complexity of the game to be his joy in playing chess. “I just like playing, this is like the only place around here,” said Silas. Although he is one of the younger players, he is also one of the better players at the club. Cook is the living proof that chess is not only an old people’s game.

        Another regular player, Mac Griffin, 30 years old, enjoys hiking, photography, bicycling, and reading. Beyond it all, Griffin finds the game of chess, as a positive focus. It is a game open to all. “It’s a fair game. Everyone’s equal playing chess. There’s no bias,” says Griffin. He likes the club because it is an open club, and the people here are nice and are willing to give advice and teach the game.

        Larry Dunlap, turning 57 this month, comes to the club for the competition! Dunlap enjoys driving heavy equipment, agriculture, and working with cattle. He grew up on a cattle ranch and really enjoys driving the heavy equipment. Outside of agriculture, Dunlap plans to reach the expert level in chess. “I would like to get better. I don’t plan to become a master or anything,” said Dunlap. He really likes the people that come here, and enjoys the playing opponents there.

        There is a huge variety of people that come here to play. Although they are all different, they all come here for the same thing, really good chess. All the members here are at a strong club level, so there is no worry. This club is important for those who want to become a stronger player in the game of chess. If you want to become a stronger player, then come by and play!