Our members
We welcome people of all ages and skill levels from beginners to intermediate and above.
Click below to see more of our members.
Aaron Thomas Baker, standing right, with his father, Chris Allen Baker - founders of the Scott County Chess Club
Aaron has enjoyed success in school playing in tournaments hosted by the East Central Talented and Gifted Association.
What we do
The Scott County Chess Club usually holds meetings on the first Saturday of each month
(unless announced otherwise for a particular meeting).
Meetings are held from 9 until 11 a.m. at the Forest Public Library.
Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play Chess just needs to show up.
No membership dues are charged for attending meetings.
The club also sponsors two major tournaments each year and other activities when possible.
* The tournaments include rated games that require U.S. Chess Federation membership.
We strive to promote the game of Chess in Scott County and provide opportunities for persons
of all ages and skill levels to learn and play the game.
How we got started
When Aaron Baker was in the second grade at Forest Elementary School in February 2018, he learned the game in the WINGS gifted class. Each student made a chess board out of construction paper and was given small plastic chess pieces.
Aaron came home and asked his father, Chris, to play a game. Chris responded that he didn't know how to play. "I had always wanted to learn, but I never got around to it. The perceived complexities intimidated me," he said. Aaron showed him how the pieces move and the general parameters of the game, "and I was hooked."
The father and son duo wanted to find others in the community to join in the game so Chris contacted Dianne McLaurin at the Forest Public Library to see what could be arranged in starting a club. “A library patron came to us and suggested the idea of starting a chess club here. We were excited about the idea and we were already aware of children who expressed interest,” McLaurin said.
Two interest meetings were held in May and attracted a good turnout. The Friends of the Library support group purchased five chess sets for use during club meetings and for library patrons to use during their visits.
At first, the club focused on children, but then expanded to all ages. Attendance at monthly meetings on the first Saturday mornings began to grow over the next two years, including turnouts of 20+ players participating. Anyone who already played the game or wanted to learn was invited.
And then COVID-19 struck.
Like other programs, the club was suspended from March 2020 until September 2021 when the library started to resume normal operations. Many of the original players drifted away due to the extended downtime so the club began to rebuild - keeping the door open to past players while welcoming new ones.
The club took another step forward in the fall of 2021 by joining the U.S. Chess Federation as an affiliate club and hosted its first tournament on November 13. The Roosevelt Chess Classic attracted 46 players from across Mississippi and three other states. Chris was also a guest on the "Good Things with Rebecca Turner" radio show on SuperTalk to promote the game and the club. He has remained an annual visitor on the radio show giving updates on chess in Mississippi.
Growth continued in 2022 with the addition of another tournament, the Bienville Chess Classic, and Chris became a tournament director. The club also started a newsletter distributed via email. This web site was launched in September 2022 and the club began making regular appearances at community events.
Additional milestones of note:
- Hosted first Chess Merit Badge clinic for Boy Scouts, Oct. 2022
- Baker elected to Mississippi Chess Association Board of Directors, Oct. 2022
- Hosted 2nd annual Roosevelt Chess Classic, Nov. 2022
- Helped start chess programs in Noxubee County, March 2023
- Hosted 2nd annual Bienville Chess Classic, April 2023
- Number of sponsors reaches 10 for supporting tournaments
- Celebrated 5 year anniversary since club's founding, May 2023
- Hosted first Randy Richardson Memorial Chess Camp for kids, Oct. 2023
- Organized and conducted appearance at Mississippi State Fair, Oct. 2023
- Hosted 3rd annual Roosevelt Chess Classic, Nov. 2023
- Purchased our own 50 boards, sets, and clocks for tournaments, Nov. 2023
- Hosted 3rd annual Bienville Chess Classic, April 2024
- Malcolm Johnson becomes first club member to win divisional championship
- Hosted first Quick and Blitz tournament, August 2024
- Hosted 2nd annual Randy Richardson Memorial Chess Camp for kids, Oct. 2024
- Returned to Mississippi State Fair, Oct. 2024
- Baker re-elected to Mississippi Chess Association Board of Directors, Oct. 2024
- Hosted 4th annual Roosevelt Chess Classic (largest turnout ever), Nov. 2024
- International Master participates in Roosevelt Chess Classic, Nov. 2024
- Taught chess to students in Noxubee County, March 2025
- Hosted 4th annual Bienville Chess Classic, April 2025
For detailed information about our past activities, see our Annual Report below.
For more information about past and future events, click HERE.
Deanne McCown was the gifted teacher at Forest Elementary School when Aaron was in the 2nd grade.
Our library partners
Our founder and coordinator Chris Allen Baker worked with (now former) Forest Library Branch Manager Dianne McLaurin to start, maintain, and grow the chess program based at the library. McLaurin was instrumental in the club's success through her tenure at the library.
Chris Allen Baker, founder and coordinator, worked with (now former) Forest Library Branch Manager Dianne McLaurin, right, and former children's librarian Brandi Nordan, left, in the early stages of the chess club to build its foundation.
Our first Chess board and some art
Pictured at right is Aaron's first chess board made in his gifted class in 2018 while in the second grade at Forest Elementary School. His teacher, Deanne McKown, had each student make a board out of construction paper and provided small plastic pieces as she taught them the game.
The image below the board is a king piece painted on glass which Aaron made during a crafts event at a local church youth activity.
Our first board and Chess art
Our Sponsors and Partners
Mississippi Secretary of State
Credentials
We are registered and incorporated with the Mississippi Secretary of State as a non-profit organization.
Our business identification number is 1360195