No one would dispute the fact that Princeton students are a pretty smart bunch. But recently, some of Princeton's chess players got beaten by an unlikely group of competitors -- inmates from the maximum-security New Jersey State prison.
No one would dispute the fact that Princeton students are a pretty smart bunch. But recently, some of Princeton’s chess players got beaten by an unlikely group of competitors—inmates from the maximum-security New Jersey State prison.
For six years, Princeton students have been battling it out on the chess boards with prison inmates, many of whom have become deeply passionate about chess during their time behind bars.
The game “eases my mind off the burden of fighting for my life,” Kelvin Washington, one of the inmates, told ABC News. “It relaxes me and transports me to another place momentarily.”
It’s also a good chance for inmates to feel as if they have control over something in their lives. “For one short, sweet moment, I get to be in charge and make my own decisions,” he said. “I get to decide where to move or what not to do.”
For the Ivy League students, playing against the prisoners provides a unique opportunity to share a common interest with someone from a completely different background.
“When I heard about this opportunity, I jumped at it,” said David Wang, a Princeton sophomore who’s competed in chess tournaments across the world.
In the chess games, the Princeton players switch off partners, moving into different stations at a round table to give the inmates extra time to make their moves. While the Princeton students generally come away from the game with a healthy lead, this time, the inmates held their own—12 of the 49 prison residents defeated their Princeton partners.
But winning isn’t everything, the inmates know. The game itself—and what it represents—matters more.
“I like strategizing; it’s like life situations,” said Michael McCall, another inmate. “You have to think about what you do. Everything you do should be calculated. We all make mistakes, but we still need to be thinking.”