{"id":444055,"date":"2026-08-26T13:40:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T13:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/444055\/"},"modified":"2026-08-26T13:40:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T13:40:18","slug":"the-black-mens-chess-league-finds-fellowship-through-friendly-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/444055\/","title":{"rendered":"The Black Men\u2019s Chess League Finds Fellowship Through Friendly Competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

This story is part of\u00a0Finding Your People<\/a>, a series celebrating the Bay Area\u2019s meetups and subcultures that bring people together IRL in an increasingly online world.<\/p>\n

On an August afternoon at West Oakland\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"Iman Bearde (right) plays chess with Tristen Williams during a Black Men\u2019s Chess League one-year anniversary event.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aChess is learning how to slow down and learning how to think a little bit more,\u201d Bearde said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Black Men\u2019s Chess League<\/a> put on this gathering to celebrate their one year anniversary, bringing people of all ages together to play a game that\u2019s been around for more than 1,000 years.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s phone, and the two exchanged information and began playing online.<\/p>\n

\"\"Participants play chess during a Black Men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"\"League co-founders Alton Kennedy (left) and JaColbrian Benard take photos during a Black Men\u2019s Chess League one-year anniversary event at Prescott Market in Oakland on Aug. 16, 2026. <\/p>\n

\u201c[Benard] had the brilliant idea to say, \u2018Hey, let\u2019s get together in person,\u2019\u201d Morgan recalled. \u201cBecause 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually the Black Men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"\"Will Delaney (left) plays chess with Jason Moffitt, offering guidance as they play. <\/p>\n

\"\"Will Delaney sets up a color-coded chess board he made to help teach the game.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aMy favorite thing to do is not to play,\u201d Delaney said. \u201cIt\u2019s to teach somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Black Men\u2019s 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\u2019s Chess League event after his mom showed him a Facebook post about a Vallejo meetup.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chris B. (left) teaches chess to Randy, 20, during a Black Men\u2019s Chess League one-year anniversary event.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jerry Lewis concentrates on a chess move.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been looking for community,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I went to the last event, and I like what Chris and Profhit are doing. \u200aThey\u2019re doing some good things for the community, so I\u2019m a supporter.\u201d<\/p>\n

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. \u201c\u200aWhen I look at anything related to chess, any clubs around America, most of them are White, Asian, Russian, Indian,\u201d Benard said, \u201cand you don\u2019t really get to see chess cultivated in the Black community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Teri Clark (center left) plays chess with her daughters and granddaughter.<\/p>\n

Though it centers Black men, the Black Men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Stepping into a new community and connecting with people over a game that he\u2019s played for most of his life was exciting for him. \u201cI think it\u2019s a great way to meet people, [but] to some extent you have to be paranoid because the other person is trying to annihilate you,\u201d Salem joked. \u201c\u200aBut at the end of the day, it\u2019s just a game, and it\u2019s a good way to get your adrenaline going, your heart pumping, while still remaining physically safe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"JaColbrian Benard plays a chess tournament during the event.<\/p>\n

\"\"Participants play chess at Prescott Market.<\/p>\n

The Black Men\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just young people or people our age, it\u2019s also people who are elderly that come and play chess,\u201d Kennedy added. \u201c\u200aThe range expands from male, female, young, old. So it\u2019s just become a family organically.\u201d<\/p>\n