By Nestor CASTIGLIONE

Fads come and go – and games are no exception to this axiom. Witness this summer’s mania over Nintendo’s “Pokémon Go” and the subsequent sharp paring away of interest in it. But one game has tenaciously held its own for millennia, eliciting the interest and even obsession of laymen and philosophers, kings and soldiers alike: chess.

“It’s not just a game but a complete personality development program,” said Kshitij “T. J.” Chauhan. “You can enhance multiple facets of your persona: creative thinking, analytical skills, discipline, perseverance and many more.”

A Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS) student as well as the president of that school’s chess club, Chauhan placed third in the American Open Scholastic Chess Tournament (AOSCT) last month. During the two-day tournament, he played five matches and won four of them. He clinched third place in a tie breaker. He currently is currently ranked at 1,639 by the U. S. Chess Federation.

Among those chess players he admires is Magnus Carlsen.

“I admire his style of attack in the games. I am also inspired to learn that he was a child prodigy and became grandmaster at the young age of 13,” said Chauhan. “It takes a lot of discipline and effort to achieve that kind of feat at such a young age!”

Chauhan was originally encouraged to pursue the hobby as a way to mitigate the distractive lure of television.

“I felt like a king commanding an army,” he said of his first game of chess. Soon the game would develop into a deeper passion for him.

“What started as a casual choice now keeps me involved because I am fascinated by the strategy development and planning tactics,” he said. “Every game, whether you win or lose helps you improve your expertise. It helps you think creatively. It’s just a scintillating experience.”

It’s an experience that Chauhan hopes to share with his peers. With his recent placing in the AOSCT under his belt, he hopes to set a local example.

“At the end of the day, everyone wants to succeed in life. I also plan to share my knowledge with others, teach them the game and encourage participation in inter-school tournaments too. As I always tell my CVHS Chess Club members, you don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great! So make a beginning. It’s never too late to start learning.”

  Nestor CASTIGLIONE