It takes hard work. It takes dedication. Most of all, it takes brains.
Chess is not a game for everyone, but it's also not the game that many people believe it to be. In fact, leisure is hardly a part of the chess equation.
Utah's chess club learned that the hard way when the club's dedication fell off track in the late 1980s and 1990s.
But a group of men have come together to put Utah back on the chess-world map.
Anchoring the resurgence, Robert Williams joined with Wes Gross in 2003 to re-establish the U as a serious contender in the chess community.
"This is something that makes people want to come to the U," Williams said.
Williams has worked diligently to bring the club to a high playing level. His foremost goal is creating a successful team that welcomes all players. For this reason, the club is open to all U students.
"We have a lot of teams because we want to have a lot of diversity," Williams said.
In all, the club usually fields between two or three teams consisting of four players each. The club competes in team and individual events, many times with substitutes flexing in and out of the lineup.
Ivan Martynenko, however, usually stays put in the lineup. Utah's highest-rated player is currently vying for victory in the College Chess League. After defeating a high-rated expert Nov. 4, the undefeated Martynenko will duel for the championship Nov. 10.
Martynenko might be the team's Jedi Master, but he's not the only one invested in his passion.
Dedication has its price. Senior Toly Zharkikh knows this as well as anyone. As the club champion and webmaster, Zharkikh is responsible for maintaining the club's website, as well as fulfilling other team demands.
The club's members meet at least once a week for five hours to fine-tune their skills. But senior and sociology major Joe Siverzweig said that some players spend several hours every day practicing.
The commitment exerted by Zharkikh and his teammates equates to the club's longevity, as opposed to some earlier clubs that fizzled out.
"I'm not sure what happened to the old club," Zharkikh said. "I think what happened is that they didn't have anyone as dedicated as (Williams) to keep things going."
If the chess club were a DeLorean, Williams would be the equivalent of 1.21 gigawatts.
"He's the person that works around the clock," said Steve Kusaba. Kusaba said that Williams does all the arranging, e-mailing and organizing necessary to keep the club in the loop.
Kusaba was a member of the chess club in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He watched clubs struggle to stay together between then and now and appreciates this team striving hard to make things work.
"Chess is very demanding in that the theory is changing monthly," Kusaba said. "A chess player must practice and stay current, much like a concert pianist would,"
Kusaba said that some teams were more active than others through the U's chess drought.
So, what made the difference in 2003? Besides Williams and Kusaba, the club started playing in official events. Playing local competitions didn't propel the club's reputation the way that national-or even international-attention does now.
Next on the club's list of tournaments to enter is the Pan American Intercollegiate Chess Tournament 2007 in Miami, Fla., in late December.
Williams competed as a member of the Mississippi State team 30 years ago and is yearning to return to the tournament. Back in the '70s, his grandmother nearly funded the entire trip and provided a car for his team. Needless to say, the tournament means a lot to him.
"I want us to win, but I want us to play and get that experience," Williams said.
Utah's chess team is pushing forward and expanding its realm of competition. Gone are the days when local competitions were the club's high point. This group of competitors knows no limits.
j.gilbert@chronicle.utah.edu
