Norfolk Initiative for Chess Excellence
Teaching Folks How to Play N.I.C.E. Since 2009
The Full Story
About
NICE Chess is a FREE program dedicated to promoting unity in the community through the game of chess, mentoring and fostering a welcoming community for players of all levels.
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Our club was founded in 2009 by Journalist/Children's Book Author Lisa Suhay who is also known for creating the Fairy Tree during the pandemic and for her children's books, including There Goes a Mermaid! A NorFolktale, Tell Me a Story, life lesson fables, America the Grateful; Virginia First Thanksgiving and others.
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The club was expanded with the help of Dr. Arthur Bowman of Norfolk State University.
Since 2009 our program has partnered with Norfolk Public Schools, Norfolk Public Libraries, The Slover Library, Norfolk Police Department, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Norfolk Sheriff's Department, and as always Norfolk Parks Recreation and Open Space which has always been our base of operations. Yorgo's Bageldashery has been our most steadfast source of nourishment for players since Day 1 and we love them!
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Some N.I.C.E. supporters include Grandmaster Susan Polgar, GM Maurice Ashley and celebrities such as Ugandan Chess Icon & subject of the Disney film Queen of Katwe, Piona Muteisi , Brooklyn Castle Documentary's Pobo Effekoro, Jada Pinkett-Smith and many more to come.
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Mission
We provide a platform for players of ANY age to learn from scratch, enhance their skills, engage in competitive play, and build lasting friendships in an empowering learning environment.
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Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, there's a place for you at the NICE Chess Club.
Vision
We are first and foremost about generating UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
Our program begins with teaching critical thinking through the game of chess but we, like our players, are so much more than that to the communities we serve. We bring speakers, mentors and resources into under-served areas with the goal of educating and uplifting every life we touch.
