U.S. National Chess Master David Allen to play dozens of games simultaneously
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) will host national Chess Master David Allen in a simultaneous (simul) competition with 40–50 members of the Detroit City Chess Club (DCCC) on Friday, May 4, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The museum is open until 10 p.m. every Friday night, and the event and other activities are free with museum admission.
Allen, who is from Cleveland and holds a Ph.D. in information technology, coaches Cleveland-area youth and high school chess teams and teaches Cleveland-area scholastic players. Detroit City Chess Club members range from five to 18 years old, and have won national, regional and state competitions, with several members currently holding impressive national rankings. DCCC practices at the DIA most Friday evenings.
Kevin Fite, DCCC founder and one of its coaches, started the club as a lunchtime activity at Detroit’s Duffield Elementary School in 2003. The lunchtime program expanded and became the Detroit City Chess Club to allow participation of former Duffield students as well as students from all over metropolitan Detroit. The clubs’ mission is to teach area students the game of chess and all the life lessons it has to offer. One of the most important, according to Fite, is “to teach children to think critically and make good judgments.”
Fite uses simuls to develop the skills of his players, and they have competed in several at the DIA. They have played against International Master and Woman Grandmaster Martha Fierro, Grandmasters Ben Finegold and Maurice Ashley, John Brooks and in 2010, Michigan’s then- youngest master, in ninth grade at the time, Atula Shetty.
Hours and Admission
Museum hours are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for ages 6–17, and free for DIA members. For membership information call 313-833-7971.
