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Tucked away in the annex of the Richmond Public Library’s main branch on Franklin Street, around 35 chess enthusiasts spanning generations listen intently as Spenser Kearns relives a lost match against a chess master. Participants occasionally chime in, asking why he made certain moves, or protest as he shows them some of his fatal mistakes.
Kearns was speaking to members of RVA Pieces, a nonprofit chess club with a goal of growing and maintaining the city’s chess community. The free-to-join club meets three times a week around town: Jackson Ward’s GWARbar is home to Monday night meetups, Thursday nights are spent at Home Sweet Home in Carytown, and Saturday afternoon’s meetups are held at the library in winter months, but they transition to Monroe Park as temperatures rise.
For chess newcomers, the group hosts bimonthly beginner meetups alternating between Final Gravity Brewing in Lakeside and Manchester’s Benchtop Brewing every other Wednesday. Another event series includes other games, such as Settlers of Catan and Mario Kart, played at Gallery5 in Jackson Ward monthly.
Tournaments are a highlight for club members, who currently hold small competitions biweekly at the Carytown Publix with a $5 entry; as the group grows, leaders hope to establish large and frequent contests in town. “Most tournaments you go to, it’s like $100 bucks just to enter and it takes up your whole weekend,” says Kearns, the group’s president. “We want to make chess for everybody, so it’s five bucks, show up, play one [game].”
Miguel Garcia, a children’s mental health counselor in Richmond, attends club meetups and occasionally brings his patients, finding a benefit in the skills learned from playing chess such as following instructions and thinking before acting. “When they figure out how to play, they can realize that the game can be a sample of real life,” Garcia says. “If you move like this, maybe it’s a wrong move and you’re going to have some negative consequences in the game or in life.”
The club’s community outreach director, Jared Thomson, moved from Seattle to Richmond two years ago and initially started playing to meet people and polish his skills. Now, as a board member, he’s working on creating scholarships for children of lower-income families to participate in tournament play. Increasing access for Richmond youth, he says, is one of the most appealing parts of the club.
RVA Pieces officially became a nonprofit in 2023, and its leadership is aiming to further their philanthropic mission through grants while introducing new scholarships and improving conditions for members with upgrades like electronic game boards and better facilities when playing in Monroe Park. “We want to make Richmond one of the best places to be if you’re a chess player,” Kearns says.
