Welcome, Chess Enthusiasts!

SPECIAL EDITION

Muskie Community Center Interviews

The battle of the ages. Photo courtesy of Sara Wing

December 15, 2023. Back in September [before my life got dramatically more complicated with vacation travel, family gatherings and healthcare appointments], Sandra MacDonald [Muskie Center Director] and I sat for an interview with Amy Calder and Fran Gonzalez at the Muskie Community Center. Amy Calder's article appeared in the September 29th edition of the centralmaine newspapers. Fran Gonzalez's piece appeared in the November edition of the Spectrum Generations Monthly Update newsletter.

Both reporters used a picture taken by Sara Wing (shown above) in which I played chess with 9-year-old Makenzie (instead of using their own photos). You can read Amy Calder's article by clicking on the link above (or on the picture). I am reprinting Fran Gonzalez's article below for those of you who don't get the Spectrum Generations publication.

The Muskie Community Center is looking for an administrative assistant. If you know anyone who might be interested in the position, please have them call (207) 873-4745.

Waterville Chess Club plays Wednesday afternoons
at the Muskie Solarium

by Fran Gonzalez

What started out as a group of doctors in the Waterville area with a love for the game of chess, has transformed, over time, into a gang of enthusiasts that play six days out of the week.

The Waterville Chess Club, has been in existence for 30 years or so in one form or another, according to Don Smallidge, facilitator, organizer, mentor, and webmaster for the dedicated group. On a weekly basis, the group now musters between 10 to 20 players, playing at a variety of locations, in-person and online.

In June, the chess club began playing at Spectrum Generations' Muskie Community Center, at 38 Gold Street, on Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in the solarium. Because the program is still relatively new at the Muskie Center, Don said there are between two to five people who are playing at this time with ages ranging from 17 to 75.

The club provides boards, pieces, and sometimes clocks and welcomes players of any level from skilled to beginners. Don also teaches as he plays providing support to younger players. "I like the aesthetics," he said, "how the pieces interact," and added he appreciates the intellectual complexity it affords. "It's a challenge," he said, though he admits it is not that difficult to learn the moves of the game.

Seventy-four-year-old Smallidge, a retired Maine state employee, said he started playing when he was 12 when a friend showed him how to play. "I took to it like a duck to water," he said. Don equates playing chess to exercising the mind, and added there are many benefits to playing the game including improving one's critical thinking, problem solving, and sportsmanship. It is also good for lowering blood pressure and improving memory skills he added.

Muskie Center Director, Sandra MacDonald, said her goal is to grow the program to include more students. There are many benefits to students spending time with seniors, she said adding that studies show participation in intergenerational programs may decrease social isolation and improve feelings of belonging.

Join the Waterville Chess Club at the Spectrum Generations' Muskie Community Center every Wednesday (2 - 3:30 p.m.) for a game of chess or two! Club members are willing to help you get started if you are new to the game, have never played, or just want to learn what it's all about.

Pay $2 and play as many games as you can every week. People can pre-register by visiting the front desk receptionist at the Muskie Community Center or by calling (207) 873-4745. For more information, visit watervillechess.com.