How did the idea for this association come about?
Deniz: ‘I think chess fits perfectly at a university and among students. I played chess a lot with a housemate, and at one point I checked the UT website to see if there was already an associatoion. There wasn’t, so I put together the paperwork and submitted it to the Student Union. What I didn’t know at the time was that something already existed…’
Busscher: ‘Exactly, because we had already had a WhatsApp group chat for a while with around 120 members. It started with sharing chess puzzles and inviting each other to play games online. When we found out about each other’s plans, we thought: let’s join forces. Since then, we’ve been working together to set up a proper association.’
And the name?
Deniz: ‘My original idea was to call the club Kostenjoek, after the female chess grandmaster Aleksandra Kostenjoek. When our plans merged, we put it to a vote in the group chat.’
Busscher: ‘Several members strongly supported Jan Timman, the Dutch grandmaster who passed away earlier this year. That name ultimately won the vote.’
So now you’re waiting for official recognition?
Deniz: ‘Exactly. We’ve submitted all the required documents to the Student Union and are now waiting. We hope to get the green light in the next academic year.’
Busscher: ‘On paper, we’re still little more than a group chat, but at the same time we’re already doing everything a chess association does.’
How active is your community at the moment?
Busscher: ‘We’ve had a lot of interest for quite some time. I’d consider the Dutch Student Chess Championship in Eindhoven last year as our real starting point. We went there with twelve people, and it was such a great experience that we decided to seriously pursue setting up a club.’
Deniz: ‘We meet every two weeks on Thursday evenings. When the weather is good, we play outside, for instance recently near the Torentje of Drienerlo, or at the O&O Square. The location varies.’
We looked into our archives and noticed there used to be a club called Schaakvereniging Drienerlo…
Busscher: ‘That’s right, we even found their old website. Using the contact details there, we tried to get in touch. That didn’t work at first, but through mutual contacts someone in our community knew someone. It turns out the club still exists, but only as a group of alumni – the old guard, so to speak.’
Deniz: ‘What makes a university chess club special is that you can play against people your own age.’
Busscher: ‘We are considering whether we can collaborate with Schaakvereniging Drienerlo. They are registered with the Dutch Chess Federation, but not recognised by UT. So there may be opportunities there.’
Finally, the game of chess itself. What makes it so fascinating to you?
Deniz: ‘It’s such a simple and ancient game, yet incredibly deep. A single match can really push both players to their limits.’
Busscher: ‘There are 64 squares, but more possible chess positions than atoms in the entire universe. That’s what gives the game its magic for me: you create something, but never on your own. It might even be the only game where losing can be beautiful.’
Interested UT students can sign up via this WhatsApp group.
