Community Corner
16-Year-Old Launches All-Girls Chess Tournament At Westfield YMCA
The 16-year-old is encouraging girls around Westfield to play chess — a typically male-dominated sport.
WESTFIELD, NJ — As chess is typically a male-dominated sport, 16-year-old Jessica Lee decided to turn the (chess) tables by creating an all-girls tournament.
The tournament, which was open to all school-aged girls and free of cost, was hosted on May 29 at the Westfield YMCA.
Lee — who is part of the Westfield Chess Club — won a grant from the United Nations Foundation to run her own tournament. She was also recently elected co-vice president of her high school chess club, where she is the only girl to have a club officer position.
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Lee has bigs hopes for her club and aims to get more girls involved. She also plans to focus her efforts on reaching out to underserved populations, something she has done with her twin brother Justin, who also plays chess.
In addition to the tournament, the event included free refreshments, prizes and giveaways, as well as chess instruction taught by Lee herself.
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There was a turnout of about 20 people, including players and parents, from around New Jersey, New York and Pennyslvania.
“I was thrilled so many young girls showed up!" Lee said in a statement. "I’d love to run more events like this!”
More information about the Westfield Chess Club can be found on their website.
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