Silent Checkmate
Campus Feels the Impact of Missing Chess Club
By ENZO FREE
The Tower
Cam Jimenez and The Tower’s Enzo Free playing chess in Mr. Burns classroom on May 5th, 2026 (Marianna Gonzales/The Tower)
MANTECA — Around 10 million students worldwide love to play chess, with many more people joining every day.
Whether it is you, a friend, or loved one, everyone has heard of this timeless board game that blends intelligence, quick-thinking, and strategy.
At Manteca High, chess lives but doesn’t thrive in small corners of the campus. There are boards scattered in classrooms, mostly tucked away in closets and storage. However, there is no organized outlet.
So, does MHS want to refuel this fire for its own students?
The way could just be through a chess club.
It could bring together people of all ages, help people teach each other and could even act as a way to make new friends.
Possibly serving as a way to blend more flavor into our campus.
But what do you think?
Do people want a chess club here?
The Tower decided to conduct an informal survey to find out. Sixty students were asked if they thought a chess club would be welcome at MHS.
The results were surprising. The majority, around 70%, said that a chess club would be a good fit here.
One student, senior Cam Jimenez, was asked for his opinion on this. Jimenez is a popular figure on campus. A two-sport athlete, Jimenez has been a member of the varsity football and baseball teams. However, his skill stretches not just in physical ability, but mental prowess too.
Jimenez is an avid chess player, whether it’s in-person or online. With Jimenez sometimes being found playing two games at once – one online and another in person.
Jimenez said: “I think it would be an opportunity for people to get out of their shells and to hang out and do what they want to do.”
Beyond the strategy and competition, a chess club could provide community and fellowship for students at Manteca High. His hopes for this are exactly what this club would need.
The club could be a gateway to bring even more supportive people together, making a community out of this, similar to other clubs and organizations already on campus.
Bringing people together to play this game would be the exact goal of this club.
The club could meet regularly, formally and informally. For instance, students could gather in the library, where students would meet and play, learn and discuss.
Meetings would involve learning new openings or practicing end games so that people can grow their experience. There could even be puzzles put up somewhere where students could solve.
The activities are truly endless.