Checkmate: Greenville University Student Launches the School’s First Chess Club
Published: October 31, 2025
Author: Lydia Cahill
Photo by Loryn O'Neal
Chess, a sport growing in popularity, is now debuting as a club at Greenville University. Led by student Josué Daniel Medrano Carranza and advised by Professor Daniel Raja, the club has achieved checkmate success after just their first meeting through their integration of networking, faith, and plain strategic fun.
A Class Project Becomes a Campus-wide Club
Photo by Loryn O'Neal
Carranza ('28), an engineering major, and Professor Raja had the idea for the club after Raja's Engineering 316: Manufacturing Processes and Materials class was tasked with creating chess pieces for a project. Students in another class began discussing chess after seeing the pieces.
"Out of curiosity, we asked, 'Who plays chess?'" Raja said. “It turns out that there were some people in the class who played chess, but we did not have a club. We thought, we do not have a chess club, we should make one!”
As the club's vision moved closer to reality, Carranza and Raja had to find ways to expand the club's purposes so that anyone—seasoned veterans or brand-new players—could be included.
Raja explained the goals of the club:
"The club gives us an arena to play. It connects us and starts networking. We intended to set up a space where we could play, but some people wanted to learn how to play as well," Raja said. "We incorporated multiple different avenues: we’ll teach you how to play, we'll teach you to better your strategies, and then we will play.”
Eventually, the club plans on hosting intramural competitions.
Years of Play Create a Love for the Game
Carranza and Raja have both been playing chess for many years, and they are ready to start sharing their experience and strategies with the club. For both Carranza and Raja, chess has long been an alluring blend of logic and creativity. This club will be built on the love of growth, strategy, and learning workplace-applicable skills.
Carranza said of his chess journey:
“I started in 2020. Interestingly, I started with checkers and then moved to chess. That’s where my passion for strategy games dates back.”
Professor Raja has been playing chess since before elementary school, learning the basics of the game before advancing his strategies in middle school:
“Chess was part of my curriculum at my middle school in India, so it was 1998 when I started playing. When I was in primary school, I played games with my father, so I had already figured out how to play, even though my strategy was bad. It was 'take down the king!'"
Carranza values how chess displays clear markers of progress and allows him to take ownership of his moves:
"I like the game because it is a reminder of how much you can progress. In chess, you are alone. It is not like other sports where you depend on your teammates. Every move you make is your responsibility, and that makes it incredibly frustrating, yet addictive,” said Carranza.
He went on to say, “You can really see how much you progress over time. I think one of the valuable skills you can develop from chess is the ability to visualize things in your head. You can imagine the pieces in your mind and the moves ahead.”
Raja, through his love of chess, has learned not only to evaluate moves, but also the expressions and character of his opponents:
"I enjoy playing because I find the strategic aspects alluring. I find that when I can read the other person, it is almost like poker, where you can sense whether they have a tell or are bluffing. It is also an accurate measure of how good you are so that you can gauge both your own confidence and your opponent's."
Photo by Loryn O'Neal
Early Struggles and Challenges
The intellectual marathon and strategic puzzles of chess are contained within a board of 64 squares. However, for Carranza, the club’s first president and creator, the obstacles in creating the club proved far more challenging than even the most contested of matches.
“I got this club approved last semester, but I had to start this semester because I needed all the materials. All the supplies came out of my own pocket until GSGA could reimburse me. The problem is that when I got the check and went to the bank, I could not deposit it because I do not have a social security number,” Carranza said.
Carranza, as an international student from El Salvador, not only faced this problem but also transportation challenges. However, with the help and support of Professor Raja, Carranza has and will continue to overcome the obstacles that come his way.
“Professor Raja supported me and has offered valuable advice. For example, I do not have a car, so he has helped me with transportation and getting snacks and supplies for the club.”
Skills Beyond the Board
Photos by Liz Dowell
Chess provides mental challenges and valuable skills and lessons that can be applied in the workplace.
Raja says the skill of visualizing a chess match and potential outcomes in his mind has prepared him to aid and teach his students in the classroom:
"I am an engineer, and I teach engineering, so I need to know exactly how to plan a project, and I need to know how to think five steps in advance of the project. In the role that I am currently in as an educator, I need to know precisely where my students can go wrong," said Raja.
"Then, if students are caught in a misconception, I can pinpoint where they went wrong and which part of the lesson they did not understand, so I can go back and revisit that concept and reinforce it. It helps me plan long-term," he explained.
Carranza sees the skills he has gained through chess as priceless when applied to engineering. In this, his chosen field, he will not only have to solve problems, but also explain his steps to those who may not be familiar with math and science jargon:
“Critical thinking, visualizing the steps, and verbalizing your thinking process. The verbalization of the thinking process is something you need to explain your ideas to potential investors, contractors, and coworkers.”
Raja added to this sentiment:
“A major part of engineering is crunching numbers, but if the people we work with do not understand the numbers, then we must use words that everyone can understand.”
Faith-Based Fun
A pillar of Greenville University is the integration of faith in all parts of life. Christian principles and teachings are applied in the classroom, in the workplace… and now on the chessboard.
At first glance, chess may seem like a merciless, cutthroat game, especially on the professional level. Professor Raja has already developed strategies to incorporate Christian virtues into the game:
"I intend that this club will be a good opportunity to see what grace looks like. I could take down your queen, but I could also extend grace and say, 'Let's talk about this.' It is a learning environment."
Checkmate
Photo by Loryn O'Neal
Where will the club go from here? First, the club is seeking new members. The club meets in Snyder 108 on Fridays from 6-8 pm. The link at the bottom of this article leads to the club's interest form.
Just as in a chess match, the club's future will be determined by tenacity, strategy, and a strong community. One thing, however, is sure: as the club gains traction, more students will feel the thrill of one word—checkmate.
Chess Club Interest Survey
