This summer, Beyond the Board partnered with Women’s Lunch Place to create a program that blended chess, conversations, and connection. Instead of focusing only on the rules, these sessions became a space for women to share experiences, stories, and advice, with a simple game of chess opening the door to deeper conversations.
We hosted four sessions throughout the month, each around 1.5 hours. Rather than trying to persuade or convince the women to join, we simply set our chessboard down on a small table near the wall, and whoever was interested came to talk to us. We wanted to stay true to our mission of sparking individual interests and giving people the space and resources to pursue them. This ensured that whoever ended up sitting down with us was genuinely invested.
In our final session, one participant, Marie Bethel, reflected on her childhood and the values she carried into raising her own family. She spoke about the importance of respecting parents, focusing in school, and even the role of discipline in shaping character. Bethel proudly shared that her sons—actors, dancers, and rappers—have found much success, which she credits to the early lessons and disciplines they received. When asked to give one piece of advice to younger generations like ourselves, Bethel stated:
“The most important thing is to work hard in school and college, and respect your parents. They make mistakes, but always respect them.”
Others, too, used the time to open up. In our first session, a woman named Anna talked about her past as well. She, too, emphasized the importance of having a solid education and staying true to your values. Aside from Anna, we noticed that many participants had learned chess at a young age but stopped, either due to lack of access to boards and pieces or simply because life got in the way. Still, it was striking to see how much joy chess brought back to them, even after years or decades away from the game.
These conversations reminded us that Beyond the Board has always been about more than chess. It is about creating spaces where voices and interests can be discovered and expressed. Many of the women shared that they would have continued playing if someone had nurtured that spark. Thus, as we look ahead, we hope to provide chess starter kits not just as boards and pieces but as invitations to the lessons and community that chess can bring.
Our time at Women’s Lunch Place showed them that chess sparks more than strategy. We left each session not only as teachers but also as learners of everything that the women generously shared.