Somerset County Freeholder Brian Levine will challenge up to 12 chess players in Chess Challenge taking place on June 28, 2017.
BRIDGEWATER - Somerset County Freeholder Brian Levine will challenge up to 12 chess players in Chess Challenge taking place on Wednesday.
Levine will face youth over the age of 8 in a simultaneous game being played from 2-5 p.m. at the township's library off Vogt Drive. All those taking part must know how to play chess and pre-register by calling 908-526-4016 or visiting SCLSNJ.org.
Any challenger who manages to beat Levine will be awarded an e-reader from the county library system.
"For years, my father would always win when we played," said Levine, who was recently named Freeholder of the Year by the New Jersey Conference of Mayors. "I spent time studying my one chess book and I studied the chess board, and by the time I was in fifth or sixth grade, I was finally the victor.
"It certainly was with mixed feelings that I beat my father."
A lifetime New Jersey resident and former mayor of Franklin, Levine has been playing chess since the age of 7, when he saw his father playing chess with his older cousin and asked to learn.
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He continued to study, play others, and join chess clubs, which eventually lead to him winning "Top 12th Grader in New Jersey" in the New Jersey High School Championship as a senior at J.P. Stevens High School in Edison.
"I first played in a tournament similar to this in high school," said Levine. "I tried it a second time, going up against a Chess Master at the Menlo Park Mall. I was his last board and it ended with a draw. It was exciting and I really enjoyed the experience. I love the idea of interacting with our community - and I have a passion for both chess and libraries.
"Reaching out to our County's youth through chess is a perfect opportunity to let my passions collide."
As a teen, he volunteered in the J.P. Stevens High School library. While attending college, he worked in the library at Rutgers University. "I love the plethora of information and the diversity of what's available at the library," said Levine. "I love that you can look up something specific or just look around and see what jumps out at you. It's an inviting place to read, to write, to use a computer, to attend a program."
Admittedly not a Chess Master, Levine said he is ranked in the top 20-percent of tournament chess players nationally, and the top 1-percent of all people who know how to play chess.
His tip for opponents: "You have to constantly think of offense and defense. I know it isn't as fun, but the defense is equally or even more important than the offense."
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