ERIC CANTU

sonable to say 10 percent of the school would love to be in the chess club.”

While Isaacs is hoping for more volunteers, even ones who don’t know how to play chess, limited funding is also an issue. To attend tournaments, the school would need to coordinate transportation. The club would also need money for tournament entry fees and Tshirts. It would be worth it to see the students compete, he and Russell say.

“Tournaments hook kids, even if they do badly,” Russell says.

“We’ll wade right into that tournament,” Isaacs says. “They might get whomped, but that’s OK.”

One rule that “whomps” students is that if they touch a chess piece, they have to move it. Students can’t change their mind after they’ve committed to a move, and it helps to think a few moves ahead.

“You can’t just move your piece without thinking about it. There’s going to be a consequence,” Russell says. “That’s something we work on in school with your behavior — you stop and think about it.”

WANT TO VOLUNTEER? Contact Hotchkiss Elementary at 972.749.7000 and fill out a volunteer form online at dallasisd.org/hotchkiss.