Chess club teaches kids skills to play and live by

Amauri Boss didn't want the chess club at Rainier Beach Library to end for the summer, so the 10-year-old wrote a letter.

"The letter said I enjoy coming to the chess club, and I think that it should keep going in the summer and even next year," he said Saturday during the club's championship.

Boss sent the letter to Seattle Police Officer Denise "Cookie" Bouldin, who organized the club as part of her job as a community liaison.

Last year, Bouldin said, she held a basketball tournament to provide activities for South-end youths, but this year, she asked the kids what they wanted, and they said chess.

"It is still a surprise to me, as well as everyone else, but I think the kids wanted people to know they aren't just about basketball," she said.

Since February, Cookie's Urban Chess Club has met every Saturday for two hours. At first, only three kids showed, but soon, 15 to 25 kids — ages 5 to 16 — started attending, she said.

To teach the game, Bouldin recruited volunteer David Delgado, a youth counselor and chess coach. Delgado said chess teaches the important life skill of evaluating situations before making quick decisions.

"Seattle is missing chess. I grew up on the East Coast, and every city has a chess park. This city doesn't have that, and chess kept me from a lot of negative things," he said.

On the final day, about 15 kids showed up. Each child received a bright yellow T-shirt and a trophy that said "Make chess not war."

Anika Brown, 7, sat down to play Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, who was there to congratulate the children on completing the program.

Anika was so small she had to kneel in her chair to reach some of the chess pieces, but Kerlikowske admitted defeat.

"She pulled it off," he said.

On the opposite side of the table, competition was just as intense. Seven-year-old Jacob Lewis told his opponent, 5-year-old Nile Hunter: "I can beat you in four moves."

Anika's father, Daryl, who said all four of his kids have attended the club, said the game offers something that athletic sports don't: "It is an equalizer. It's not about size. It's about how hard you work."

And Amauri got his wish: The club will resume in August.

Tricia Duryee: 206-464-3283