by Nimra Ahmad
On March 24, Rainier Beach hosted its second annual Detective Cookie Chess Classic Tournament. As might be deduced from its name, the tournament is run by Denise “Cookie” Bouldin, a detective with the Seattle Police Department who also runs a weekly chess club for children K–12 at the Rainier Beach Community Center.
Continue reading At Rainier Beach Chess Tourney, Young People Master Tactics That Apply to Lifeby Phil Manzano
The Detective Cookie Chess Park had its grand opening on a resplendent Saturday afternoon as community members, neighborhood activists, and government officials celebrated what likely was Seattle’s feel-good story of the weekend.
Continue reading Detective Cookie Chess Park Opens in Rainier Beach Amid Community Love and Celebrationcurated by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Phil Manzano
It doesn’t look like much to people driving by on Rainier Avenue South: a large patch of dirt ringed by temporary chain-link fencing. But to Seattle Police Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin, it is part of a long-unfolding vision to help youth through chess and build community.
Continue reading Another Move in Building the Detective Cookie Chess Parkby Susan Fried
It didn’t take long for chess lovers to fill the tables at the future site of Detective Cookie Chess Park in the Rainier Beach neighborhood on Saturday, Aug. 21. Members of Detective Cookie’s Chess Club, volunteers, and even the president of the Washington State Chess Association (WSCA) showed up for the second of three Chess Park Pop-Up events to be held this summer.
Seattle Police Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin started the chess club in 2006 for Rainier Beach youth. Today, the club serves community members of all ages. The outdoor park, at the corner of Barton Place South and Rainier Avenue South, will eventually be home to built-in chess tables and a giant in-ground chess board. Community leaders and volunteers who formed the Friends of Detective Cookie Chess Park group began fundraising in 2015 and are on track to have the park fully funded by the end of 2021.
Continue reading Rainier Beach Chess Park Pop-Up Brings a Vision of a Future Permanent Home for Chess
