Knowing the importance of attending more quality chess tournaments, and in hopes of promoting chess in the Jackson Metro Area, in June 2018 brothers Joe and Johnny Han co-founded a nonprofit organization, ChariChess. After a summer’s preparation, ChariChess organized its first scholastic tournament on October 20th, at the Canton Public Library. The tournament went very well, thanks to the strong support from local chess enthusiasts. In the future, ChariChess will organize more tournaments and offer free chess lessons to scholastic chess beginners.  

About Joe:

Joe first learned chess from his teacher through the Pathways Program offered in Madison public schools. He has been playing chess for more than ten years now. To find more tournaments to play and further improve his chess, Joe traveled a lot to neighboring states with his dad during these years. In retrospect, playing chess has had so many positive impacts on Joe, including helping him meet a lot of new friends. Currently studying at Brown University, Joe was a 2018 US Presidential Scholar Semifinalist, and an All-STAR Runner-up student in Mississippi. His high school chess team claimed the MS State Championship twice, and Joe held the title for MS Scholastic Champion in his age group throughout his chess career.  

About Johnny:

Admiring his big brother’s involvement in chess, Johnny showed a strong interest in the game since the age of three. He begged his dad to teach him chess, finally beginning to learn when he was four years old. Johnny played his first tournament when he was 5 (Actually, it was Joe who planned to play in that tournament, and Johnny was meant to be there to just see how a real tournament was like. Then, Johnny begged on site to also play!). Johnny is luckier than his brother in that he can find more tournaments now, thanks to the recent great efforts of the Mississippi Scholastic Chess Association and Mississippi Chess Association.  

From Their Parents:

It’s not easy to sit down and play in chess tournaments; to organize and hold chess tournaments is even more challenging in some ways. As parents, we wholeheartedly lent our support to their efforts. Jifeng, the Chess Dad, took pains to get certified as a US chess Tournament Director. After Joe went to college, Johnny has been happily involved in all aspects of ChariChess, except for directing the tournaments. We sincerely hope that while the kids are growing up, we can all do something for our community. The brothers playing a game in Central Park, NYC. Johnny’s first tournament game (age 5)