It’s possibly one of the least likely statements you’ll hear a 7-year-old say about chess: “It’s one of my favorite games. I love strategy.“

“He’s much better than I am,” Erin Puckett said about her son, Noah, adding that it’s not nearly as uncommon to find children who like chess as one might think. Inspired by her son’s enthusiasm – he’s been playing since the age of 3 – she recently approached Sedona Public Library with an idea to host a chess club every other Wednesday.

“There are a lot of kids who love chess,… Puckett said. Most of the children who show up, she explained, come from Sedona Charter School – conveniently just a short walk from the library. She laughed as she described her son as a natural salesman for the club, urging his peers to come out after school.

Fifth-grader Serenity McFarland sat across from Puckett, quietly working on her strategy against her older opponent. She said she has been playing for a few years, but refused to answer the question, “Are you any good?…

Puckett, however, answered for her: “She’s very good …. A lot of girls have been coming out, which I love.”

McFarland grinned shyly. “Sometimes, it can be difficult, but it’s still fun to try….

Creating community, Puckett said, is a big reason for engaging children in chess. “It gives them an outlet to expand not only their social skills, but play …. It works well, also, because parents get free time and it facilitates independence in the children….

To read the full story, see the Friday, April 17, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.