Saturday mornings

From 11am until 12pm

https://dekalboys.org/chess-class/

As they say in chess: Checkmate! The Queen's Gambit took home two Golden Globes Sunday night. Netflix's mini-TV series has taken audiences around the world by storm and has caused interest in the game to soar. So why is this news locally? Because Stone Mountain-based Be Someone Inc. has been teaching young audiences not only how to play the game of chess for years but also how to benefit from the life lessons taught on the chess board. Now, thanks to DeKalb County's sponsorship, more area youngsters can soon learn this incredible game for free.

Be Someone Inc., the youth development organization that began in 2000, has taught over 78,000 youths how to make the right moves in their lives by learning how to play chess. Once again it will be a part of the coming lineup of virtual classes offered by DeKalb County, according to a recent announcement by government officials.

Registration is now open for the eight-week “Chess for Success” program, which will be held every Saturday from March 20 to May 15, with a chess tournament planned for May 15. There will be $500 in prizes awarded to winners. Classes will start at 11a.m. and conclude an hour later at 12 p.m. The training is designed for ages 8 - 18 and, thanks to DeKalb County, is free.

Be Someone's founder and CEO, Orrin "Checkmate" Hudson, who was an at-risk youngster growing up, was taught the game of chess by a high school teacher who saw potential in him when no one else did, even himself. "It changed me but more importantly, it saved me," says Hudson. "I have dedicated my life to reaching as many young people as I can through this wonderful game that teaches so much."

Hudson, who served in the U.S. Air Force and was an Alabama State Trooper before founding Be Someone in 2000, feels the timing for the chess classes is critical. "Considering the upheaval we are witnessing in our communities right now, it is time our young people learn how to think before they act and that every move they make has a consequence," Hudson said. "Our children need hope. When they lose hope, they make bad decisions. My classes teach youngsters to make the right moves on the chess board and in life."

Students will hear Hudson encourage them to "make every move their best move by thinking ahead;" keep your "head up, pants up, grades up and never give up;" and "think it out, don't shoot it out." He explained, "I guarantee our students a unique experience that will be so much fun, they won't even realize they are learning much more than how to play a game," Hudson added, "Parents and guardians will find this Saturday program especially valuable for their young students when they return to their classrooms. We teach how to think."

The "Chess for Success" program is one of several virtual programs sponsored by DeKalb County's Youth Services.

The Be Someone class will have a maximum of 100 participants and the first 30 registrants will receive a free electronic copy of Hudson's book, "One Move at a Time.

More information, including registration details, is available by visiting www.dekalboys.org. Scroll down the list until you find "Chess for Success" and click on the icon or click on this link https://dekalboys.org/chess-class/ . You can learn more about Hudson and Be Someone at www.besomeone.org.

Interested in learning more about the "Queen's Gambit"? Check this link:

https://www.aninews.in/news/entertainment/hollywood/the-queens-gambit-bags-two-awards-at-golden-globes-202120210301091820/