For the Love of Chess
Trio working to establish more CNY chess clubs for students and adults
By Joe Sarnicola
Local chess experts Bob Nasiff, Anton Ninno and Jim Gonnella have been working for many years to promote the game by establishing chess clubs in area schools, organizing tournaments and even hosting regular friendly games.
Nasiff is the most prominent member of the local chess community, having earned a master rating from the United States Chess Federation and serving as its National Scholastic Tournament director.
The three were together at a scholastic tournament for students in grades K-12 at the CS Driver Middle School in Marcellus in early March.
Ninno was pleased with the turnout.
“We had more than 100 players sign up,” he said. “More than we expected. COVID put an end to chess clubs, but interest is starting to pick up again. We have another tournament at Pine Grove Middle School next month. We started a club there a couple years ago.”
Sue Riccardi is the chess club adviser for the Marcellus school. Her children have a long history with chess and with Nasiff.
“My children took lessons from Bob. They have played at local, state and international tournaments,” she said. “My oldest son, Thomas, is a chess master and he has won six national titles. I also have a set of triplets who have played as a team in the nationals.”
The children were only in second grade when they placed at that level. Thomas, now a dentist, still volunteers as an adviser to the school club.
Nasiff, a retired special education teacher, has been playing since he was 8 years old. He didn’t take the game too seriously until he was in his teens, when he joined his high school chess club. He also played whenever he could while serving in the Army. His work with the US Chess Federation took him around the country and the world.
“I knew a lot of the Russian masters during the Soviet era,” he added.
Before the tournament started, Nasiff addressed the players and their families to explain the rules and reminded them once the games started, only players and volunteers would be allowed in the tournament room. Parents and friends left the room, but there was plenty of chess activity in the lobby, which became a community space. Tables were covered with chess boards where friendly games were waged by players of all ages.
Ninno assisted him as needed, but he was also encouraging players and guests to buy the quality chess sets he was selling in the community space, some which came with a travel bag to carry the pieces and the vinyl board. His love for the game is evident, as he promotes chess in the Central New York region.
“I try to get clubs started in schools by meeting with the school principal, the PTAs and volunteers and a possible club adviser. Everyone wins if the club is successful. The kids get a tournament, the schools look good hosting the events, and the PTAs use the events as fundraisers,” he said.
According to the National Scholastic Chess Foundation: “Chess provides both conceptual instruction and practical application that allow students to develop skills that are so necessary for success in life.”
Learning and playing chess is not only beneficial for children, but also for people later in life. The American Psychological Association has found that “chess has been shown to improve cognitive function, memory and analytical skills while decreasing anxiety and depression in older adults.”
Ninno first learned the rules of chess when he was 8 years old. He thought the game was difficult, so he never became a serious player until he taught his two children how to play. His decision to find a place for people to play chess on a regular basis started with his love for the game of “Go,” a strategy game that has its origins in ancient China. Eventually there was more interest in the game of chess, so that became the game everyone played, including Ninno.
He is also an expert on the history of chess. He explained that Syracuse University had a chess club as far back as the mid to late 1800s.
“When Bobby Fischer beat the Russians, interest in chess exploded. But that was years ago,” he said. “Now a lot of kids who play really good chess don’t even own a chess set. They play online. That’s why I’m selling actual chess sets here.”
He explained to a customer that his pieces are weighted — meaning they have a weight built in, which makes them stable and adds a more satisfying feel to them.
“Once you get used to a weighted piece, you never want to use anything else,” he said.
In addition to trying to start school chess clubs, Ninno is the administrator of Syracuse Chess, a nonprofit organization which he established nearly 10 years ago. It now has more than 850 members.
The primary contact is its Facebook page. According to the page, “We create, support and coach school chess programs across CNY. Our events are open to all students, not just those at the hosting school. Join our FB group to hear about chess activities for all ages. We accept donations that help us promote chess. It’s one of our goals to start a new Syracuse Chess Club for adults.”
Gonnella is a volunteer with Syracuse Chess. While Nasiff and Anton are both retired teachers, Gonnella is a retired radar engineer. According to Anton, he is able to supervise clubs in the town of Dewitt through a grant from the town. He progressed from checkers to chess and has played in many tournaments.
Anton said that friendly games are held at the Dewitt Wegman’s every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. No experience is necessary. The games are free and open to the public.