Chess Players Invited Abroad Need Checks

When chess champion Alexander Huff plays his German counterparts this summer in a friendship match in Hamburg, he is looking forward to more than just the challenge on the board.

“I hope to bring them a good a match,” said Huff, 14, of Irvine, who recently won the U.S. Ninth Grade Champion title, “but I also hope to learn the language, the culture and maybe some interesting concepts in chess.”

A student at University High School, he is one of half a dozen young players from Chess for Juniors who will play July 4-14 against top German students.

Also expected to make the trip is Justin Skliar, 13, of Brea, who has won several local scholastic tournaments.

“It’s not a titled match,” said Robert M. Snyder, a national chess master and founder of Chess for Juniors in Huntington Beach. “It’s more for relations and for the experience.”

Snyder said that across Europe, chess is highly competitive. “It’s nice for them to go and be immersed in an environment where chess is considered to be a very important activity,” he said.

The players will stay in the homes of German students their own age and will tour chess clubs in Hamburg and Berlin, he said.

Skliar, a student at Brea Junior High School, said he is eager to make the trip. And, he said, “I want to help the team to win.”

The young players must clear one obstacle before they can make their trip: They must raise about $5,000 to cover the cost.

The chess club is accepting donations to help finance the venture: CFJ Trust, P.O. Box 29, Midway City, CA 92655. Information: (714) 531-5238.