Two years ago, security guard Timothy Freemole found out the Exceptional Education department students were playing chess with the Falcon Friends Club.

The teachers did not know how to play, so Freemole took the chessboard and moved it into the library, and this is how the ongoing chess game began.

2017 graduate Austin Schiffke was the first to play with Freemole.

“Last year Austin and I played [chess] daily here in the room in the library… what was very interesting with Austin is I don’t think I beat him one time he was very good, he was literally always 4 or 5 moves ahead of me. This year I have been trying to get some of the other students [to play]. I’ve been approaching the students and seeing if they’d want to play,” Freemole said. “We’re having trouble playing in here [the library] because people keep messing up the board pieces.”

The board game is left out in room 411 in the library for players to stop by when they can, and make their move. However, someone has been going into the library and re-arranging the chess pieces on the board not allowing the students to finish their games, while ignoring the sign that tells others not to mess with the game in progress.

Librarian Jennifer Kizer has been able to see the progress that the players have made because she often goes into room 411 to check.

“I don’t always see them [the chess players] go in [room 411]. It’s just something that happens. I think it’s nice to have the game go on and see when they start a new one,” Kizer said.

The students will come in and make their move then flip over a little piece of paper signifying that it is the other person’s turn. The opponent will make their move whenever they have free time, and this allows the games to go on for a couple of days to a week to finish.

Senior Savanah Strunk first started playing chess in the library last year when Freemole taught her how to play. She has felt annoyed with people messing up the games.

“I actually had a lot of fun with it. I didn’t think it was something I would find fun, but the more I played it the more I enjoyed it ,” Strunk said. “I think it’s childish that people come in because it says right on there [the chess table] not to mess with the game.”