DRINK TEA, PLAY CHESS
On the surface, chess is an individual game, a battle of wits between two people. But it also draws in spectators who are invested in every match – whether amateur or elite.
In parts of Singapore, you can spot people huddled around two players on stone tables, silently watching but for collective gasps or smiles as a checkmate draws closer.
This type of bond is at the heart of chess, and building a community was one of the reasons Hirfan Romzi decided to start Aliwal Chess Club (ACC) in late 2021.
What started as an open invitation to Mr Hirfan’s friends and acquaintances to hang out, drink tea and play chess has now produced a thriving group that meets at least twice a month.
Today, ACC has become so popular that some leave comments on the group’s Instagram account to ask when the next event will be held. There are even tourists who want to know when the next meeting will be.
Back in 2021, only a handful of his friends and acquaintances showed up, but Mr Hirfan noticed that there were passers-by who joined the gatherings. A few weeks later, he decided to start the club.
“In the early days of ACC, actually most people came not for chess but just to hang out,” Mr Hirfan told CNA.
About three years since its inception, ACC has brought chess to places such as cafes, museums and music festivals.
It organises various events such as street chess meets, which typically see about 40 players, and its annual World Chess Day festivals, which draw crowds of hundreds.
The club has a diverse range of participants, from new players to those who play chess competitively, added Mr Hirfan.
“On a personal level, I just love bringing people together, gathering people, just talking to them, making new friends and gaining more connections,” he said.
“Over the years … there are people coming up to me or texting to ACC (how) it’s nice for them to have found a place, a sense of belonging, (to) really just chill with us and make new friends.”
The club is about more than just chess, said Mr Hifan.
“In ACC itself, chess is actually just 20 per cent of the whole thing. The other 80 per cent is what surrounds it – it’s really the creative community that surrounds it that makes us who we are, always providing platforms for creatives, for musicians, for stuff like that,” he explained.
ACC also provides networking opportunities and in the case of Mr Hirfan, a graphic designer, it has even opened the door to a role in a lifestyle events company.
Singapore Chess Federation CEO Kevin Goh told CNA that the vast majority of chess players in Singapore play recreationally and simply want to learn the game and make new friends.
Without such events, chess players are only able to play online, which “deprives them (of) the communal side of things”, he added.
“Eventually the interest will also die down because not all chess players are super interested in improving their game significantly.”
The federation is the principal authority over all chess events in the country, and a member of the Singapore National Olympic Council and Singapore Sports Council.
