Chess doesn’t always have to be a boring game for nerds. The Bughouse tournament, a team version of chess, has engulfed Mr. Micah Herzig’s room and has brought cheering crowds as teams compete for the victory.

Unlike traditional chess, bughouse is defined as “two vs. two timed chess where you give your captured pieces to your partner to be placed on their board,” according to senior Jake Truex.

Mr. Herzig, arguably one of the least boring teachers on campus, has spent four years turning the chess club away from being perceived as “boring.” Senior Alex Nguyen agrees, noting that “only cool kids play chess.”

Players pick their partners at the beginning of the tournament, and teams stay the same throughout. In round-robin style, all teams play each other and the winner is determined by the pair with the most wins.

With only five minutes of time on the clock for each player, this tournament gets more than interesting.  Also, because of the two boards to work with, there is more strategy involved than with traditional chess as partners help each other. Students often ask each other for certain pieces, fully adopting a team dynamic.

Lasting two weeks, this tournament is the third one hosted for the year. Mr. Herzig hosts other types of chess tournaments, including traditional chess and blitz chess where “each player has five total minutes to make their moves,” said senior Jeffrey Principe, a frequent participant of the chess tournaments.

Perhaps the most important part of these tournaments is the atmosphere of openness. You have your quiet studious kids and the rambunctious students all in one group, with everyone welcome. In May, he will also host a student-staff tournament. Interested students should see Mr. Herzig in room 108.