This story is part of Finding Your People, a series celebrating the Bay Area’s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.
On an August afternoon at West Oakland’s Prescott Market, a young man with locs and glasses and a woman with a high bun sat at a chess board, their faces tense with contemplation as they tried to anticipate each other’s next move. Iman Bearde, 38, of East Oakland and Tristen Williams, 18, of San Pablo are both novice players, and they decided to test their skills after meeting for the first time. The game is all about strategy and patience, they explained.
Iman Bearde (right) plays chess with Tristen Williams during a Black Men’s Chess League one-year anniversary event.
“ Chess is learning how to slow down and learning how to think a little bit more,” Bearde said.
The Black Men’s Chess League put on this gathering to celebrate their one year anniversary, bringing people of all ages together to play a game that’s been around for more than 1,000 years.
The group has come a long way since Alton Kennedy, Chris Morgan and JaColbrian Benard (better known as the musician Profhit) started it as an invite-only party in an East Oakland backyard. It all began when Morgan and Benard met by chance on a hiking trail in 2025. Morgan recognized the chess app on Benard’s phone, and the two exchanged information and began playing online.
Participants play chess during a Black Men’s Chess League one-year anniversary event at Prescott Market in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2026. The group organizes community chess events and youth programs around the Bay Area.
League co-founders Alton Kennedy (left) and JaColbrian Benard take photos during a Black Men’s Chess League one-year anniversary event at Prescott Market in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2026.
“[Benard] had the brilliant idea to say, ‘Hey, let’s get together in person,’” Morgan recalled. “Because in person is way different than playing online. Coming together in person has created that space, initially, for Black men, or brothers who look like us, sound like us and act like us.”
Eventually the Black Men’s Chess League left the backyard, and the three friends began organizing events around the Bay, mainly in Vallejo and Oakland. Over the past year, the meetup has grown into a community of men, women and youth who are interested in learning chess and sharpening their skills.
At the anniversary party, experts and beginners alike got into some friendly competition while the DJ mixed Afrobeats and R&B. Some people danced as others carefully chose their next moves. Will Daleney, 81, of Richmond brought a homemade multicolored chess board with an orange, blue, green and pink design. He sat across from a young man, teaching him the rules of the game.
Will Delaney (left) plays chess with Jason Moffitt, offering guidance as they play.
Will Delaney sets up a color-coded chess board he made to help teach the game.
“ My favorite thing to do is not to play,” Delaney said. “It’s to teach somebody.”
The Black Men’s Chess League has helped some attendees rediscover their love of the game. Jerry Lewis, 36, first learned to play chess as a child and began taking it more seriously over the past two years. He recently attended his first Black Men’s Chess League event after his mom showed him a Facebook post about a Vallejo meetup.
Chris B. (left) teaches chess to Randy, 20, during a Black Men’s Chess League one-year anniversary event.
Jerry Lewis concentrates on a chess move.
“I’ve been looking for community,” Lewis said. “That’s why I went to the last event, and I like what Chris and Profhit are doing. They’re doing some good things for the community, so I’m a supporter.”
Kennedy, Morgan and Benard made their rounds, welcoming people to join games. The three organizers strive to create a safe space for everyone who sits down at a board, especially Black people, who are underrepresented among chess players. “ When I look at anything related to chess, any clubs around America, most of them are White, Asian, Russian, Indian,” Benard said, “and you don’t really get to see chess cultivated in the Black community.”
Teri Clark (center left) plays chess with her daughters and granddaughter.
Though it centers Black men, the Black Men’s Chess League is open to people of all backgrounds. Rammy Salem from Sacramento was visiting family in West Oakland and stumbled upon the chess league after exploring the Sunday farmers market. Salem sat across from a young boy, glancing down at the chess board with his hands crossed over his forehead as he thought of his next move.
Stepping into a new community and connecting with people over a game that he’s played for most of his life was exciting for him. “I think it’s a great way to meet people, [but] to some extent you have to be paranoid because the other person is trying to annihilate you,” Salem joked. “ But at the end of the day, it’s just a game, and it’s a good way to get your adrenaline going, your heart pumping, while still remaining physically safe.”
JaColbrian Benard plays a chess tournament during the event.
Participants play chess at Prescott Market.
The Black Men’s Chess League has also made efforts to become more gender-inclusive. Earlier this year, Kennedy hosted an event that drew women and families, changing the direction of the league and opening it up for youth programming.
“It’s not just young people or people our age, it’s also people who are elderly that come and play chess,” Kennedy added. “ The range expands from male, female, young, old. So it’s just become a family organically.”