Traveling chess club creates community in Austin

Photo Credit: Naina Srivastava

On a typical Thursday evening at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, the clack of chess pieces hitting wood interrupts the usual buzz of coffee orders and casual chatter. About a dozen players gather under warm lights, their faces relaxed yet focused. As pawns, knights and bishops move steadily across boards, a scene of calm strategy and connection unfolds.

Isaac Jaramillo unintentionally founded the ATX Traveling Chess Club when he and a few of his friends frequently brought a chessboard to local cafes and bars, drawing interest from passersby, who often asked to join. What started as informal meetups soon turned into a group chat and eventually, a thriving community. Inspired by the universal nature of chess during his travels, Jaramillo officially named the collective the Traveling Chess Club.

“I moved to Austin, and I didn’t know a lot of people. By doing this, I got to meet a lot of people, not only outside of work, but all over Austin,” Jaramillo said. “I never know who I’m going to meet. There’s always new people coming in … Different people are very excited to watch it grow.”

The low-pressure environment has helped the club grow steadily. From just a handful of players at the start, meetups now regularly attract 15 to 30 participants. The mix of ages and backgrounds creates a unique dynamic where novices learn from experts, and strangers quickly become friends. Will Haase, a founding member of the club, sees it as a way to build community and mentally recharge in a busy city. 

“ Every week, I (look) forward to seeing my friends who don’t work or live in the same area,” Haase said. “There’s a group that we know every Thursday, we’re going to be meeting up at Mozart’s, playing chess for a couple hours (and) catching up with our weeks.”

For UT students looking to widen their social circles beyond campus, the Traveling Chess Club provides a laid-back setting to meet new people and experience Austin’s diverse culture firsthand. It provides a chance to step outside the usual college scene and build friendships through a shared, timeless game, said club member Logan May.

“ UT is great. They have their own orgs, but sometimes they can, like in school programs, feel almost like a bubble,” May said. “If you want to expand your interests and (explore) different people’s backgrounds and what they do, it’s cool to explore that aspect as well and explore the city a little bit more, as well as make new kinds of friends.”

As the night winds down and the last matches wrap up, players pack their boards with smiles and plans to return next Thursday. For the ATX Traveling Chess Club, Jaramillo said it’s less about winning or losing and more about creating a space for anyone to be able to play.

“What I really like about chess is it’s a universal language, so you don’t need to speak the same language to play,” Jaramillo said. “And no matter where you go, the rules are the same.”

This article was written for The Daily Texan the official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin