Elmer E. Krueger describes the Mundelein-Libertyville Chess Club as a social organization. But don’t expect to hear a lot of conversation as members play against each other each Thursday night at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Mundelein.
“You can hear a pin drop,” Krueger said. “There is concentration but no conversation.”
But members, Krueger added, don’t take themselves too seriously. “We don’t have tournaments, we don’t keep track of wins and losses,” he said. “I tried having a tournament seven years ago, but it just bombed. It didn’t work out the way I planned.”
So the group, which consists of 24 regular members, continues to meet every week, 12 months a year, to enjoy the game.
Krueger founded the club in 1977 simply because he wanted to play chess. The first gatherings were held in a room above the Mundelein Library, he said. Since then the club has moved five or six times. “I think we have found ourselves a permanent home,” he said of the church.
In addition to players from Mundelein and Libertyville, the club attracts people from Wauconda, Round Lake, Grayslake and other Lake County communities.
There are no dues, just requests for occasional donations for the church. “The only requirement is to bring one’s own chess board, chessmen and the knowledge of how to play the game,” he said.
Normally when a new player shows up, Krueger will play against the person to determine the best matchups. “Almost everyone is a much better player than I am,” Krueger said, “but I enjoy the game.”
The average age of the members is about 45, according to Krueger. All are male. “We did have a woman at one time,” he explained, “but she gave up.”
Another woman joined with her husband, but the couple quit when the husband was transferred to another city.
Sabin Cheversan of Mundelein has been a member of the club almost as long as Krueger. “I call him the secretary,” said Krueger, who claims to be 67 and holding.
