Photo Essay

Kids Take Home the Win at Chess Competition Against Seattle Police

by Susan Fried

The 3rd Annual Chess Rumble between Detective Cookie’s Urban Youth Chess Club and Seattle Police Department officers went down on June 18th at Van Asselt Elementary School. Just like the previous two shess battles the kids crushed the competition. The kids won 30 games and the cops won 9.

The Urban Youth Chess Club has been around for 13 years and is a community success story with dozens of kids and adults participating. The kids range from ages 7 to 11. Detective Cookie — Denise Bouldin of SPD — said that the whole community makes the club a success, with participation from the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club, the Rainier Beach Community Center, the Rainier Beach Library, Seattle Parks and Recreation, parents, teachers, and the Seattle Police Department. She calls them her angels.

The kids took turns playing the half dozen officers and Seattle Seahawk KJ Wright.

Yabi, 9, has been playing chess with Detective Cookie’s Chess Club for at least four years, and he took particular relish in winning his matches. He loves the strategy involved and likes that all the pieces are different and that you can move them around the board in different ways to check and checkmate your opponent. He said when he first started playing chess,

“My Dad used to beat me every single time I played him and now it’s back and forth,” he said about first starting to play chess. Now, “sometimes I beat him sometimes he beats me.”

Unfortunately for the Seattle Police Officers who showed up for the rumble, Yabi was having a great day. He won 5 out of his 6 matches against the SPD, taking home the first-place trophy.

Despite the lopsided results, everyone had a good time with all the participants receiving trophies and medals at the end. Like last year, the police vowed to do better at next year’s Chess Rumble, and even though they only won nine of the 39 matches this year, the results were in fact an improvement over last year. At the 2018 Rumble SPD won only 5 of 40 matches. Maybe next year they’ll come out on top. They better start practicing because kids like Yabi are only going to get better.

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Yabi, 9, reacts to a comment made by Officer Roberson made during their match. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Students ages 7 to 11 compete with Seattle Police Department officers and one Seattle Seahawk at the Chess Rumble June 18. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Officer Rivera during a game in the annual Chess Rumble June 18. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Anaya, 10, watches her opponent, Officer Steiger, make a move during the 3rd Annual Kids vs Cops Chess Rumble June 18 at Van Asselt Elementary School. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Anaya, 10, considers whether to move her queen during the 3rd Annual Kids vs Cops Chess Rumble June 18 at Van Asselt Elementary School. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Keli, 6, reacts to a move by his opponent, Officer Lucas, during the 3rd Annual Kids vs Cops Chess Rumble June 18 at Van Asselt Elementary School. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Seattle Seahawk K. J. Wright moves his rook before losing to Hongren, 9, during the 3rd Annual Cops vs Kids Chess Rumble June 18 at Van Asselt Elementary School. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Selina, 7, studies her opponent’s move in a match against a Seattle Police officer during the annual Chess Rumble between Detective Cookie’s Chess Club and the SPD. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Hongren, 9, closely studies his opponent’s move during the 3rd annual Chess Rumble between Detective Cookie’s Chess Club and the SPD. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Seattle Police officer Fason studies the chess board during his match against Maya, 9, during the 3rd Annual Chess Rumble between Detective Cookie’s Chess Club and the SPD. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Seattle Police Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin tallies the wins for her Chess Club and the SPD during the annual Chess rumble between her team and SPD officers. (Photo: Susan Fried)
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Yabi, 9, high-fives Detective Cookie after winning another match in the 3rd annual Cops vs Kids Chess Rumble June 18 at Van Asselt Elementary School. (Photo: Susan Fried)

Featured Image: Hongren, 9, closely studies his opponent’s move during the 3rd annual Chess Rumble between Detective Cookie’s Chess Club and the SPD. (Photo: Susan Fried)