Youth chess club in the Bronx hopes to reach thousands in new location

NEW YORK — A chess club founded in the Bronx has changed the lives of thousands of kids across New York City, and now they’re opening up their very first location where they got their roots.
Since 2013, the Bronx-based youth chess club, Project Pawn, has helped thousands of students in public schools find themselves through the game of chess.
“We do want every kid to learn how to play chess. We understand the power of the mind,” said Abdul Sulaiman, co-founder of Project Pawn.
With so much success over the last 11 years, founders Sulaiman and Chris Johnson are expanding the club into a new flagship location.
“This is the safe space that we want to have kids be able to come to,” Johnson said.
Sulaiman and Johnson have sat across the board from each other since they were kids. They got their start playing chess in the Bronx, traveling to chess tournaments and championships together. The duo says chess changed their lives.
“We grew up in a really rough neighborhood,” said Johnson. “Chess kept me out of trouble. Chess kept me in the house instead of outside.”
“Once you engage with chess, it’s like everything stops,” said Sulaiman. “I’m thinking about how do I solve this problem.”
The environment inside Project Pawn is competitive but welcoming for beginners.
“You don’t have to be tall. You don’t have to be fast. You don’t even have all of your limbs. You need to have one hand and a brain, and you can play,” said Johnson.
Wessal Aimami is always two steps ahead when it’s her turn at the board. The 10-year-old has only been playing chess for a year, but she and other students in Clasen Point have already found what they love most about it.
“You get to challenge yourself a bit because when you move the pieces, it’s like you’re thinking a lot,” said Aimami.
The grand opening of Project Pawn in Clasen Point will officially be on Sept. 23. It’s open to students and serious chess players across the city.
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