Young chess mates in W. Phila. compete with the best

IF YOU HAD asked Bysir Fripps two years ago what his favorite hobby was, his response would have been similar to that of many young boys in Southwest Philadelphia: basketball.

But a year after joining the chess team at Weir Mitchell Elementary, the 10-year-old hesitates slightly in his answer.

"If they go against each other I cannot [choose], but I really think chess is a little better," Fripps, a fourth-grader at Mitchell, at 55th and Kingsessing Avenue, said last week. "It [doesn't] exercise your body; it exercises your head, and you can actually focus on the game of chess."

Fripps is a member of the Minor Threats Chess Club, a group of students that ranges from second grade to middle school and that competes in regular local and state tournaments.

Although Fripps and his mates may look like, well, minor threats, the young players have developed a real passion and dedication for the sport, according to their coach, Jason Bui.

"When I have them on the weekends, I'll pick them up at 8:30 [a.m.] and drop them off at 5:30 [p.m.]. Other than the time we're traveling, they're focused on chess," said Bui, 31, who is in his sixth year of teaching at Mitchell. "A lot of the kids who might be a little hyper in school, their teacher goes, 'He plays chess?' They can't believe it."

In December, Bui's club joined with three other clubs to form the Philadelphia Chess Society in hopes of taking on some real competition at the U.S. Supernationals V Chess Championship, April 5-7 in Nashville, Tenn. Supernationals, held every four years, feature students from K-12. The society's goal is to raise a total of $20,000, or $5,000 per club, to charter a 52-passenger bus.

It would be the first time that three of the four clubs have been to supernationals, including the Minor Threats. But that should not be a problem, considering that the clubs have been racking up trophies in the Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League. Mitchell finished second last year in competition among elementary schools.

The coaches said that the national tournament will give students a chance to compete against the best in the country and expose them to new opportunities.

"Part of this vision is to help students that are interested in using chess beyond just a competitive sport in school, but to use chess to help them get more choices," said Mikyeil El-Mekki, coach of the Paul Robeson Chess Club and a teacher at Blankenburg Elementary, in West Philly.

El-Mekki, a West Philly native who started playing chess at age 5 thanks to his brother, Sharif, began coaching young pupils in the sport eight years ago. He said that two of his former players have used chess as a gateway to college, including a young woman who has a full chess scholarship to Webster University, in St. Louis.

"I hadn't dreamed or even thought about having a student of mine being a college chess player," said El-Mekki, whose team also finished second last year in competition in the middle-school category.

Both El-Mekki and Bui acknowledged that the game is not all about wins and losses. It's also about responsibility and sportsmanship and critical thinking.

Or, as Fripp says, accountability.

"I never make excuses," the chubby-faced boy said. "Some people make excuses if they lost. I try my best every time. If I lose, I study harder."

Bui said that his club - also planning its second trip to state championships this year - has been selling keychains, baked goods and T-shirts. An online donation page had raised $1,105 as of Tuesday.

Anyone interested in donating can mail a check to: After School Activities Partnership, 1520 Locust St., Suite 1104, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Checks should say "Philadelphia Chess Society" on the memo line.