Who We Are
Bright Knights Chess Club is a 501(c)3 Public Charity founded in San Francisco. It is composed of San Francisco Bay Area chess players, working professionals, college, and high school student volunteers. The organization's goal is to bring the community of diverse backgrounds together through the game of chess. The Bright Knights focus primarily on providing the opportunity for all San Francisco Bay Area youths to learn chess and train for nationally rated tournaments. We provide free chess tournaments and classes for youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to teaching chess, the organization strives to promote the youth's self-esteem, sportsmanship, and service to the community.
History
Bright Knights Chess Club was founded in 1999 at Balboa High School in San Francisco, California by Vincent Ng, Christopher Flores, Aaron Tam, Dennis Tocol. It was originally a student-led chess program at Balboa High School. During its time from 1999-2003, it was the largest, most organized, and successful school chess program in San Francisco.
Reorganization
The members of the Bright Knights Chess Club convened in May of 2003 to transition Bright Knights from being a high school chess club to a community chess organization. The goal was to create a chess club in which youths from all over San Francisco could learn to play and train for chess tournaments at no cost. The reorganization was led by Vincent Ng, Christopher Flores, Dennis Tocol, Alvin Ma, and many members. They created their first free youth chess program at the San Francisco Public Library - Excelsior Branch in May of 2003. In September of 2019, the organization was incorporated into a 501(c)3 Public Charity. Today, the organization continues to partner with public libraries, school districts, and non-profit organizations to make chess accessible for youths in the San Francisco Bay Area.