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Online chessparticularly faster games including blitz and speed chesshas seen rapid growth in interest and participation because of the pandemic and the popularity of Netflixs The Queens Gambit series.

According to Forbes, Chess.com had 1.5 million new subscribers in the spring of 2020, compared with just 670,000 in January 2020. Daily registration numbers at Chess24.com have tripled in many countries since the beginning of the pandemic while the average number of games played daily has doubled compared to pre-pandemic.

While many sports were adversely effected as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, online chess emerged as one of the newer sports obsessions. Most elite chess players were quarantined and stuck at home due to travel restrictions making it possible for them to play in more tournaments against other elite players in multiple online tournaments simultaneously, something unheard of in regular over the board tournament play.

Clutch Chess is just one example of a genre of chess that kept the game new and exciting this past year. After the first clutch event in May 2020 with a US-only field, the St. Louis Chess Club offered a new event in June 2020 that was double the size and included an international playing field. Eight top grandmasters competed for an impressive $265,000 prize fund playing 10+5 games in a knockout format. The Clutch Chess International tournament concluded with a gripping final match between world champion Magnus Carlsen and world No. 2, Fabiano Caruana, with Carlsen claiming victory in the final round.

Another feather in the cap for online chess fans was the 2020 U.S. Chess Championship, held for the first time all online. The 2020 U.S. Chess Championships consisted of five national tournaments that were held in rapid format: U.S. Championship, U.S. Womens Championship, U.S. Junior Championship, U.S. Girls Junior Championship, and U.S. Senior Championship.

The U.S. Championship and U.S. Womens Championship were both 12-player round robin events, while the U.S. Junior, U.S. Girls Junior, and U.S. Senior Championships were 10-player round robin events. Tournaments were played back-to-back, with players competing in 3 rounds per day starting with playoffs to follow the final round. The winners were:

U.S. Girls Junior Champion: international master Carissa Yip

U.S. Junior Champion: grandmaster John Burke

U.S. Senior Champion: grandmaster Joel Benjamin

U.S. Womens Champion: grandmaster Irina Krush

U.S. Champion: grandmaster Wesley So

YouTube reported that chess videos were watched more than 350 million times worldwide since January 2020. Some channels are gaining thousands of viewers per day.

According to data from SullyGnome, an analytics partner of livestreaming services provider StreamElements, chess is booming on Twitch as well. Chess is now one of the top 20 games streamed on Twitch, with the number of hours watched increasing from around 3 million in March 2020 to more than 8 million in May. Jennifer Shahade recently told Insider.com that chess works well on Twitch because theres no hidden information, so you can play it in real-time or with a very short delay.

The livestreams also give viewers the opportunity to learn in a way that they wouldn't elsewhere. "Chess at a high level is played on instinct as much as intense calculations, so it's possible for titled players and champions to educate and entertain while the level of player doesn't degrade as much as one may expect," Shahade told Insider.com.

With the combination of more free time and more access through streaming services, chess players are able to compete in a way they never have before, and chess enthusiasts from across the world are now able to watch and consume chess content without interruption.

As pandemic restrictions begin to loosen and more events are held over the board again, online chess will never be the same and the game of chess will continue to find ways to grow, engage and thrive.

Read more:
On Chess: Online Chess Interest Soars Since The Start Of The Pandemic - St. Louis Public Radio

A total of 20 participants of the women's rapid tournament of the FIDE World University Online Chess Championship were disqualified by the tournament's Fair Play Panel, although it stated that there was no proof of actual cheating. One player was stripped of her world titlea decision that has been questioned on social media and countered by a separate investigation.

On Thursday, March 25, IM Iulija Osmak was a world champion. Almost three days later, she was not.

Osmak had won the women's rapid title of the FIDE World University Championship but on Saturday evening, the 23-year-old international master from Kyiv, Ukraine received an email from the tournament's Fair Play Panel. It was stated that there was a suspicion of a breach of fair play regulations, that she was disqualified from the tournament, and that the decision was final.

"It was a very big shock for me," Osmak told Chess.com.

The FIDE World Online University Championships was an event open for students born in 1995 and later. It was played over three weekends: the blitz championship on March 13-14, the rapid championships on March 20-21 with finals on March 25, and the rapid and blitz cups for teams on March 27-28.

The event was played for the first time under a new formula where students are actually representing their universities, while before they were representing countries. With over a thousand participants, the turnout was bigger than ever.

The live broadcast of the rapid tournament's finals.

A report by the tournament's Fair Play Panel (here in PDF) published on March 26 revealed that 20 out of almost 900 participants of the rapid tournament were disqualified due to breach of fair play. The panel said they needed more than 70 hours to analyze 5,036 games and explained that they based their decision on the following criteria (as stated in the report):

The statistical evidence was provided by Kenneth Regan, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo and FIDE's statistical expert. The host internet platform evidence was provided by Tornelo, on which the tournament was played. Physical evidence was based on Zoom video calls with players (using single webcams) and arbiters during the games and the players' screens that they shared. The expert opinion was provided by Fair Play Panel member GM Aleksandar Colovic and a few other grandmasters.

The report emphasizes that both FIDE and the hosting platform refrain from claiming that the players actually cheated. The following sentence, together with others sentences, are taken from paragraph 5.20 of the tournament regulations (here in PDF) and copied into the report:

Neither FIDE, nor the Hosting Internet Platform claims that the determination of a suspected fair play violation is proof of actual cheating or an admission of guilt by the disqualified player.

There was no way for the players to challenge the findings.The report states that the Fair Play Panel was "not subject to any appeal, review or other challenge" as had also been stated in the tournament regulations beforehand. The 20 disqualified players were not allowed to play in the team events of the tournament on the last weekend.

Their disqualifications won't have consequences in their future over-the-board play unless FIDE's Fair Play Commission decides to refer the matter to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission. According to the report, this would only happen "in the case of a clear or gross violation, or repeated violations," and could possibly lead to excluding a player from all official chess events for a period of up to 15 years.

The case got further attention because of what happened to Osmak. The 2017 Ukrainian Women's Champion had finished in first place in the women's section with a 4.5/5 score.

However, she was one of the 20 disqualified players. She lost her world title and her five games were all turned into losses. Her opponents were given half a point for their games against her.

After the preliminary phase of the rapid tournament, several players were disqualified, but Osmak was not one of them. The final consisted of just five rounds.Below you can find all five of Osmak's games in the finals, played at 10 minutes for the game and a five-second increment:

The International Chess Federation issued the following statement on the case, specifically referring to Osmak:

In connection with the decision of the Fair Play Panel (FPP) of the FIDE World University Online Championships, FIDE confirms that the results of the women's rapid final held on 25 March have been adjusted. All the results of IM Yulia Osmak are counted as a loss - in line with the tournament's Regulations.

The decision was not based solely on cheating-detection algorithms but was made by FPP after a thorough examination, that included all available evidence. The decision is final.

"It's been a horrible time for me," Osmak told Chess.com, saying she couldn't sleep the first two nights after receiving the Fair Play Panel's email.

Because the email she received mentions that there was no proof of cheating, Osmak decided to write to the Fair Play Panel members. So far, she has not received an answer; only two arbiters sent a reply, acknowledging to have received her message.

The case has received a lot of reactions on social media, including from several prominent chess players. Former FIDE world champion GM Ruslan Ponomariov did not see anything suspicious in Osmak's games:

Another reaction came from GM Susan Polgar (replying to GM Mikhail Golubev), who is confused about players being removed from the tournament without proof of cheating and with no way to appeal:

The case has been widely discussed on Facebook as well, especially in a thread under a post by in Russian by FIDE Director-General Emil Sutovsky on March 28. Sutovsky says he has faith in the efforts of the Fair Play Panel (translation into English by Chess.com):

This is not a decision taken by the platform. FIDE takes the responsibility for this decision. I have always emphasized and keep emphasizing that our standards are high. We are not a private platform. If we take the responsibility, it means that we are ready to take this case to CAS and to present our evidence there.

The post is still being widely discussed and it was in this thread, on Monday, that a statement was posted byGM Bartlomiej Macieja. The Polish grandmaster co-organized the FIDE World University Championships on behalf of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he is the chess coach. This university is also where Osmak studies (from her home in Ukraine, because of the pandemic), and it was the team she played for.

Macieja noted that an "independent investigation" had been conducted because Osmak is a member of the chess team in Texas. He wrote that the investigation consisted of:

Macieja gave the following conclusion of the investigation:

It quickly became obvious, that notorious misconduct could be ruled out instantly, so the task focused on finding if there existed evidence proving at least one instance of misconduct of our student during the entire competition. After thorough analysis, not a single violation has been discovered. Therefore, for the purpose of our investigation, the case is closed.

The results of our investigation are not a proof that misconduct didn't happen, but exactly the same can be said of over 1000 students that took part in the First FIDE World University Online Championships, against whom there is no evidence to claim otherwise.

Commenting to Chess.com, Macieja explained that he conducted most of the investigation himself, saying that with "independent" he meant that it was an investigation completely apart from that of the Fair Play Panel. Although he admitted that he himself was not independent in the case (as the coach of Osmak), he pointed out that by going against the Fair Play Panel's verdict, the university made a difficult decision:

"The goal of the investigation was to establish the future of the student, in this case, Iulia Osmak, within the chess program of the university," said Macieja. "Serious student misconduct has never been and will never be tolerated within the chess program. Whether she would lose her scholarship was my responsibility and cannot be based on external research."

Macieja was given the data of the games as well as the platform's interpretation and says that, based on that information only, Osmak is definitely clean: "There's not the slightest indication of cheating of Iulia Osmak in the hosting platform's information."

In addition to seeing all of the information that was available to the Fair Play Panel, Macieja also used additional information: he spoke to Osmak, while the panel didn't. Calling the Fair Play Panel's decision "controversial," he noted: "I know exactly why they took that decision of disqualification, but I have more evidence and whatever the consensus of the Fair Play Panel was, it was by far insufficient to take any measure by the university regarding the student."

The Fair Play Panel consisted of four people: Tomasz Delega, the chief arbiter of the tournament, Bojana Bejatovic, who is also a member of the FIDE Fair Play Commission, GM Aleksandar Colovic, and David Cordover of Tornelo. The latter provided his vote electronically from Australia, hours before the actual voting took place.

Multiple sources told Chess.com that only two members of the panel voted in favor of disqualification, one voted against, and one member abstained. Macieja isn't sure that, in the case of Osmak, this course of action led to a proper verdict.

"I am not even sure if formally they came to a decision," he said. "If there is a follow-up in the FIDE Ethics Commission, probably this is the first thing to decide. I know that even members of the Fair Play Panel are unsure if the decision has been reached."

So why was Osmak disqualified? Asked this question, she mentioned a "high statistic" in her games, which refers to Regan's analysis. Regan could not comment for this article because of his involvement in the case but did vouch that the main statement and other public comments by officials involved are accurate to his knowledge.

Osmak speculated that the decision perhaps was related to the fact that in one game she forgot to unmute her mic during the first few moves. Another detail that might have raised suspicion was that she had looked away from her screen a few times during games, for which she has an explanation: the limited vision of one eye, which provides for just 16 percent of normal vision.

"In cases when I'm nervous, I have to not focus on the board and try to rest my eyes and look to the side," Osmak said.

On Sunday, Macieja and Osmak spoke about what happened and decided to write an email to the Fair Play Panel that suggested a test with a lie detector. A response hasn't come yet but Cordover told Osmak that the panel isn't planning to take this up.

Three members of the Fair Play Panel refrained from commenting, but one was willing to speak: Cordover, the man behind the hosting platform. He admitted that this "double role" could have a potential influence on his decision, saying: "If it's any concern, I should not be on a panel. I have no problems with that."

Diving into the matter, Cordover explained that his website's statistical analysis is quite rudimentary: it involves only move-match percentage [to what extent a player's moves match with those of a chess engine - PD] and centipawn loss [the change in evaluation measured in a hundredth of a pawn - PD], adjusted a little for openings and obvious moves.

One difference with Regan's method is that it's not adjusted for rating. "The number has to be interpreted based on the rating of the player," explained Cordover. "We have some guidance on how to interpret the number on our website."

Like Macieja, Cordover does not think that the statistical analysis of Osmak's shows cheating: "Basically, the number that Tornelo gives is something which is standard, let's say, for an international master. Maybe a little bit on the high side, like a strong international master, but nothing that an international master wouldn't normally fall within expectations."

After the decision was reached, Cordover immediately wrote an email to FIDE's Fair Play Commission and to Sutovsky, sharing his concerns about the process that's being used in determining players who are disqualified from certain events. In the subject field of the email, he wrote: "A fair-play process must be fair."

"In just a few FIDE tournaments that we've organized in the past four, five months, I know of three blatantly obvious false positives," he tells Chess.com. "If there's a process that allows innocent people to suffer on a very frequent basis, then there's something broken about the system."

Although he emphasizes not to be criticizing any individual panel members, Cordover says he sees problems in different areas, one of them being a lack of accountability.

"The Fair Play Panel has extremely far-reaching powers but is not accountable to anybody at all," says Cordover. "There is no right to appeal, I don't know how well the evidence that's collected is documented, I don't know if there's a review process. This way, you can accuse anybody of anything."

Cordover also has problems with how evidence is collected and presented. He points out that a Fair Play Panel tries to collect evidence to prove unfair play but doesn't necessarily make any effort to actually produce contrary evidence, and points out: "In any fair trial, both sides should be able to provide their opinion."

Another point Cordover makes is about the burden of proof. He argues that the conclusion of a Fair Play Panel should sit somewhere between "balance of probabilities," like in a civil case, and "beyond a reasonable doubt," like in a murder case.

He mentions the concept "comfortable satisfaction," which is used bythe Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): "The intention of this process should be that someone is innocent until proven guilty and only if you can reach comfortable satisfaction that a player had some assistance, even if it was just one move in one game."

Cordover also feels that the current process lacks transparency and proper communication. He argues that, in the case of an event governed by FIDE, the organization should be fully transparent, meaning that all information used by a Fair Play Panel should be shared with the public or at least be communicated to the player.

FIDE seems to agree on several points here. Sutovsky has allowed Chess.com to quote his reply email to Cordover in full:

Thanks for taking your time to raise these important issues - I greatly appreciate you care so much and you try to see the situation from various angles.

I fully agree that the procedures must be improved - and we have a long and very challenging road ahead of us.

I also agree that the issue is very sensitive and a lot of damage can be done if an innocent player is banned.

It is important to understand though - it will never be perfect - but we tackle it with utmost care, fully aware of FIDE's responsibility. We realize that no policy would save us from the critical arrows - but we can live with it - as long as we feel that our approach is not only fair, but based on a dedicated work of the team, and properly described. The urge for detailed protocols and clear handling of these complex issues is evident - but not less evident is a necessity to tackle the cases in question here and now, relying on the existing expertise.

The Fair Play Commission and the Fair Play Panel consist of people who tackle it all for several years now - and still, they are very diligently checking all the data and evidence. Of course, FIDE was focusing on OTB, and only last year we started to draw relevant online regulations. In parallel, the work is ongoing to describe the entire protocol, and FIDE Managing Director, Mrs. Dana Riezniece-Ozola overviews this work.

I can assure you that we take the issue very seriously, and issues you raise in the letter are being addressed.

Appreciating your emotional letter, I'd just want to thank you again for caring - please rest assured: we care no less, and we will keep doing our utmost - being fully aware that our work may draw criticism from left and right.

The nature of the topic is too sensitive - and often the very same people who accuse us of a witch-hunting claim we close our eyes allowing cheaters to win...

Detailed procedures must be in place to avoid all that - and I will seek this important task to be finalized to be approved by the General Assembly this summer.

Meanwhile we fully rely on our best people who amassed a great expertise and spend countless hours to come up with a fair judgement.

Thanks again for your passionate address,

Best regards,

Emil

Although Macieja came to a different conclusion, he still supports the Fair Play Panel:"I want to make it very clear that in my opinion, the Fair Play Panel acted in good faith and in the best way they thought should be handled during the event. But this doesn't mean they were right in their final conclusion."

Osmak said she is in touch with her federation, who might be able to help in defending her. They are considering writing a letter to FIDE.

For now, Osmak wants to focus her energy on the upcoming over-the-board tournaments she'll play in: the Montenegro Chess Festival in two weeks from now, and also the FIDE World Cup in July.

"I miss the real chess," she said. "I prefer the real chess!"

Continue reading here:
FIDE World University Championship Participants Disqualified Without 'Proof Of Actual Cheating' - Chess.com

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) Heres a story about a rising chess star in Queens.

Shes only 12 years old, but is already excelling at the game.

And as CBS2s Kiran Dhillon reported, the youngster says her love for the game has helped her through the coronavirus pandemic.

It helps me think better. It helps me focus on things better, Jessica P. said.

FLASHBACK: Teenage Brooklyn Chess Champion Hoping To Become First Black Female Chess Master

There are many things Queens student Jessica loves about chess. Primarily, its how the game forces her to think strategically.

You have to think like three moves ahead. You have to memorize like a bunch of different openings and variations. They can help you in real life, you know, help you in school, help you with doing basic things, Jessica said.

COVID VACCINE

The seventh grader, who moved to the U.S. a few years ago from Guyana, adopted her fathers love for the sport. She has been playing competitively for two years now and says chess has helped her through these COVID-19 times.

Teachers assign a lot of assignments and its kind of stressful, but, you know, chess gives me something to like depend on. After a long day, I know that when Im done, like school and everything, I can just go, you know, play a chess game, relax and enjoy it, Jessica said.

READ MORE:Chess Forum In Greenwich Village: A NYC Classic Perseveres In A Pandemic

And while the pandemic has forced many students to shift their game online, Jessica hasnt let that slow her down. She has competed in several virtual tournaments, including taking first place in one on Thursday.

Jessica, actually, has a higher ranking than most adults do in the chess world, said Rachael Gazdick, CEO of New York Edge.

New York Edge runs the afterschool programming at Jessicas school and many others across the city. Gazdick said going virtual has had its challenges, but also some positives.

The kids now get to play with each other weekly, as opposed to maybe doing it like having a tournament once a month, Gazdick said. Connectivity is brought to us as being able to bring more kids together, across all five boroughs to compete from their homes.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Jessica said loves that she been able to play more often.

For anyone who hasnt played chess, she has this message.

Its really fun. You should try it. It can actually improve your intelligence, your academics, Jessica said.

The young girls goal is to one day become a grandmaster the highest title one can achieve in chess.

And from the looks of it, shes well on her way.

CBS2s Kiran Dhillon contributed to this report

View original post here:
Rising Through The Ranks: Queens 12-Year-Old Has Eyes On One Day Being Chess Grandmaster - CBS New York

Wade Kellers passion for chess led him to form the Marco Island Chess Club and he had a very active pre-COVID K-12 group of students. The activities of the club paused for several months but once Wade received his second vaccine, he felt it was time to get back to the game of chess with the students.

According to Wade, chess is very popular with K-12 students for two reasons: Charter schools and private schools are very good at using games to help students learn and chess also teaches students patience and thinking. While players are sitting and waiting for their turn to make a move, they are thinking and strategizing.

Elsa Grifoni of Marco Island, along with other mothers of home-schooled students, is hoping that the club would give local students an opportunity to socialize and also challenge their thinking process at the same time. Elsa added that chess is an excellent tool for students to develop problem solving skills and improve attention span while having fun learning to improve their chess skills.

The Family Church of Marco Island located on 1450 Winterberry Drive offered to host the Chess Clubs weekly classes on Wednesdays from 10 AM to Noon for all K-12 students on Marco. Thanks to Pastor Terry Hoskins and Casey Nowlin, the Chess Club has had two very successful sessions. Pastor Hoskins and his wife Jamie have three boys Luke, Silas, and Job and all are learning to play chess.

During these sessions, the students will learn the skills to play chess and prepare for future tournaments. The Chess Club has had two sessions so far with over 11 students participating for each class.

Wade Keller has a plan, and it starts with Robust Chess Playing! So, all the kids have fun, learn the rules, and get something positive from the morning experience.

Step One: Robust chess playing. According to Wade, almost all of the kids are brand new to chess playing. For the next several sessions, they just play and get to enjoy the game. He does mix them up and get them to play with other partners.

Step Two: Writing your moves. According to Wade, this will teach the students to be able to review their notes and analyze where they could have done better another way to improve their chess playing skills.

Step Three: Using the clock. According to Wade, once they can record their moves, they can learn to use the chess clock. Adding a chess clock bring a new level of excitement and enjoyment to the game of chess. Without the clock, your opponent just takes forever to move. So, a timer is needed to keep the game moving.

Step Four: Introduce the experience of simultaneous chess exhibition: This is where one player usually of a higher caliber plays multiple games at a time with a number of players moving from table to table to play a single move. One rule is not to make your move until the master is standing in front of your board. Players will learn to sit patiently, analyze their boards, and think of their next move.

Step Five: Playing at a tournament. According to Wade, Id like to get to the point where we can have one tournament each month on Saturdays.

All students K-12 of all abilities are warmly invited to join the Wednesdays chess class at the Family Church from 10 AM to Noon. If you have any question, please email Wade Keller atwadekeller2045@gmail.com.

Read more:
Chess is Back on at the Family Church - coastalbreezenews.com

For some, chess is purely a form of entertainment. But for Ashley Priore, a junior English literature and political science double major, chess has a deeper meaning one that she is determined to help others see.

Priores recent acceptance to the Clinton Global Initiative University puts her on track to do just that. CGI U is the higher education branch of the Clinton Foundation, established by former President Bill Clinton. As CGI U scholars, students go through a year-long program, during which they are matched with mentors, attend conferences, network and launch individual projects. Priore said she first heard about CGI U last spring, but the foundation itself and the political aspects of it caught her eye.

At first, I was just doing research about the Clinton Foundation. I was looking at the Biden campaign and I was trying to compare and contrast these two major candidates, Priore said. I was really inspired by the head of the Clinton Foundation and so I reached out to him. He then told me about CGI U and that it was a program I might be interested in getting involved with.

Priore said she talked with the woman leading the University initiative, who was looking to reach more Pitt students. She said their conversation made her excited to begin the application process, which opened last November. The application itself was extensive and required a commitment to action, research and data numbers to support an initiative, Priore said.

The foundation is all about having specific plans to change or impact your community, Priore said. The application was full of questions about why I would want to take part in an initiative like this and what I want to do to inspire people. So, I wrote about chess. How young women can use the skills that chess provides to fuel their own passions.

Priore said her initiative centers around teaching chess to youth. She wants to develop a chess-based curriculum that can be used in schools and other teaching settings. Priore said chess can provide players with life skills that arent necessarily taught in the typical classroom.

The curriculum is grounded in how chess teaches life and strategy skills, like strategic planning and decision making, Priore said. People want young individuals to be able to make good decisions, but how do we expect them to if they arent educated in these skills?

Priore has been implementing her initiative on a local scale for several years. She founded The Queens Gambit Chess Institute in 2014 when she was in ninth grade at The Ellis School, an all-girls school in Pittsburghs Shadyside neighborhood. Priore said her personal experience with chess inspired her to start the nonprofit and that going to tournaments when she was younger made her realize how many people simply do not understand the game.

Its not just about competitions, its about what it teaches you, Priore said. Reshifting the narrative around chess is really important, which is why I ended up starting the nonprofit. Im trying to get as many young people engaged as possible.

Priore teaches anyone between pre-K and 12th grade through Queens Gambit, with a focus on supporting young students of color. Priore said the institute conducts outreach programs in the Pittsburgh community and forms community partnerships in an effort to build sustainable relationships and to address inequities.

We serve about one thousand students per month. The majority of those students are of medium to low income, families with diverse economic backgrounds, Priore said. Our focus is on the communities that really need this programming.

Jacob Boyce, the board chair for Queens Gambit, said he started working with Priore in 2019 because he was looking for support with running his own chess club. Boyce, a Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher, said the mission of Queens Gambit pulled him in and encouraged him to incorporate Priores methods within his own club.

Whenever I teach a new tactic, they have to come up with ways in which this could be analogous to the world we live in, Boyce said, I never did that before working with Ashley.

Boyce said Priores dedication and perseverance enables Queens Gambit to expand and thrive. He added that he is not surprised to see her hard work pay off in other areas of her life, such as her acceptance to CGI U.

She is the one that treads water for the organization, Boyce said. Pathfinding, trailblazing, Ashley takes the things she has struggled through and uses them. She is very passionate about making changes in the world.

Priore said running Queens Gambit quickly led to an increase in her political interests. She added that an internship with Erika Strassburger, who represents part of Oakland and the rest of the Citys eighth council district, made her fall in love with the inner workings of government, specifically youth participation. Priores interest in politics grew, manifesting with Y22, a movement to get young people on nonprofit boards as voting members. Priore said she noticed youth were not involved in decision making, which inspired her to create the organization.

I noticed this lack of people understanding that young people have a voice and that they want to use it, Priore said. Y22 is about research, policy reform, getting young people on boards.

Madison Ricker, a senior political science and English major, started working with Y22 last summer. Ricker said the idea behind organization aligned with her own interests and that her work with Priore has been a fulfilling experience.

Y22 spoke to me because Ashley and I connect on our ideas and views on youth leadership and engagement, Ricker said, Ashley always makes me think of what else I could be doing. I have grown a lot in my leadership and my work because of Ashley.

Priores interest in youth politics expanded to a national scale with her founding of Youth Political Strategies during the 2020 presidential campaign. Priore said her work with President Joe Bidens campaign made her notice the need for more young people to be involved with policy, not just organizing. Youth Political Strategies focuses on getting young people involved with political campaigns.

Youth Political Strategies is about having youth vote directors or engagement directors on every campaign. We also have a big movement to get young people in the White House, Priore said. Youth Political Strategies is really trying to be the voice for youth policy because it is a very specific subject, young people care about so many things.

Priore said she hopes to continue political work once she graduates in 2022, but is also open to any opportunities that come along on her journey. She said she will continue working to address and solve issues that she notices in society. Priore said her time at Pitt has been influential and has positively impacted her in many ways.

Pitt was supportive from the beginning. I have mentors here, people who would help me, people who were here to support me, Priore said. I felt like when I came to Pitt I was part of the community. And when you feel like you are part of the community, you can flourish.

Priore said the best advice she could give to younger generations as they look to find their own voices and their own passions is to just keep moving ahead, pursuing their interests, and entertaining new ideas.

There are going to be people that dont like it, Priore said. There are going to be people that say no to you. But that just means not right now. You just have to keep pushing forward.

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Pitt student founds third organization, mentors youth through chess - University of Pittsburgh The Pitt News