Barrington students play chess for charity

The Chess Without Borders group celebrated Global Youth Service Day April 24, holding a chess tournament at Hough Elementary School in Barrington.

Group leader and coach GM Yury Shulman and his chess students joined millions of volunteers around the globe to show the powerful impact volunteers can make in the world through service learning.

Established in 1988, Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world and is now celebrated in over 100 countries. On GYSD, children and youth address the world's most critical issues in partnership with families, schools, community and businesses.

Hough Street teacher Maggie Gruber organized the local tournament. More than 30 children and adults volunteered in a variety of capacities to make the event a success. From generously volunteering service hours to donating food supplies, several families made contributions to make the event memorable.

The proceeds from the tournament will be donated toward educating Meher, a little girl who has endured multiple plastic surgeries and reconstruction of her hands from funds provided by Chess Without Borders.

Another simultaneous project conducted by a 10-year-old chess student during this tournament was to ask chess families for donations of care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan.

U.S. Sgt. Steven Chartier was invited to the tournament as a special guest.

He is a chess player and was delighted to have had the opportunity to play against Shulman.

Chartier played continuous chess matches against many students during the entire tournament.

He was presented with Shulman's textbook and two chess sets to carry with him when he returns to serve his mission.

Shulman and his students from Chess Without Borders identify and address the needs of their communities, organize to provide opportunities for youth engagement and promote and raise awareness of young people as assets and resources to their communities.