On Chess: Making (check)mates

At the University of Missouri, the words “Division 1” don’t only apply to intercollegiate athletic programs, such as football, basketball, soccer and softball — they also apply to the Mizzou Chess Team, which is quickly becoming one of the best collegiate chess programs in the United States.

In 2019, Cristian Chirila, a Romanian chess grandmaster, partnered with the St. Louis Chess Club and launched the Mizzou Chess Team. Though MU’s team has only been competing for a few years, Coach Chirila and his players have already earned an impressive list of accomplishments, not to mention compiled a star-studded team roster.

The team is made up largely of international students, who come from countries such as Slovakia, Russia and India.

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/2022-01-24/on-chess-making-checkmates