When Orrin "Checkmate" Hudson holds one of his "Get In the Game" chess classes, his audience normally is a group of young people in the 8 to 18-years-old range.  That will change soon as Hudson opens his chess board and reveals his winning strategies to senior citizens tomorrow at 1 p.m. Hudson, the founder and now the “Chief Problem Solver” of the non-profit Be Someone Inc., uses the game of chess to teach life lessons to young people and he feels the game is also a perfect fit for seniors.  "Life should be a continuous learning experience and age should not be a disqualifier when it comes to tackling something new or improving skills," he explains. 

Since 2000, The Be Someone program has provided instruction on the game of chess to more than 77,000 young people. One of the primary goals of the program is to teach students that there are consequences for every move they make- whether it is on a chess board or in life.

Presented on behalf of the DeKalb County Human Services Department, Hudson will deliver his virtual classes for seniors Tuesdays and Thursdays for four weeks at 1p.m. The next class is October 29. The chess champion presented a similar summer virtual program to scores of youngsters through the County’s Virtual Village.

He is especially excited about interacting with his senior audience.  "These folks," explains Hudson, “have a zest for living and they are eager to learn something new."  He added he challenged several of the seniors a few years ago to matches and is looking forward to this virtual opportunity. DeKalb seniors can participate in the free Zoom class by visiting www.zoom.com and adding this link before classes begin each Tuesday and Thursday until November 19,2020.  94241385719.

This Saturday, October 31, Hudson will be teaching  the principles of chess to children ages 8-18 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon The classes are free but registration is requested. Visit: https://dekalboys.org/chess-class/ to register.

Hudson is especially excited about opening his chess board to senior players.  There are many benefits to playing chess, he explains. "Let’s start with the obvious, chess is mentally stimulating. Simply put, this game exercises the brain and that is especially important for seniors so that they can stay mentally sharp,” he explains. 

The Be Someone founder added there are several other benefits for senior players: Chess improves cognition; all you need to play is an affordable chess board and pieces; playing the game connects seniors with others, young and old alike; it relieves stress; learning something new is good for the health; it provides self-confidence and that is important for seniors; and the game is, as Hudson emphasizes, "just a lot of fun."
"I can't wait for this class to begin.  If it is a success - as I know it will be - it will be something we can offer virtually to a multitude of audiences of all ages not only locally but throughout the country. To join the zoom meeting click the button below.