Three Brothers establish ‘Chess for Charity’ tournament for a good cause

The Iyer brothers — Akshat, Ayush, and Aneesh — love chess, and have been playing since elementary school. They have even won various state and national championships as part of their school’s chess club.

But sometimes a passion can’t be contained to just an extracurricular club, so these Sparta residents decided to spread their love around. In 2017, they started providing chess summer camps for kids, and then during COVID, when they saw how strained area food banks had become, they established a 501c3 non-profit called Chess for Charity to help raise funds for local organizations in need.

Chess lessons, monthly tournaments, and an ongoing chess camp all help contribute to their charity’s coffers. In total, the brothers have been able to raise over $5,000 for organizations and causes throughout the area.

In their initial pursuit as a non-profit, they raised about $2,500 for organizations such as the Sparta Food Bank, Project Self Sufficiency, WGirls, Wish Upon a Child, area nursing organizations, and the International Rescue Committee for Ukraine Refugee Relief. But the Iyer brothers were just getting started. At the May 21 event, they raised another $2,500 in honor of the late Erin Beebe, a Sparta High School Class of 2014 grad who died on April 4, 2022.

Beebe’s passion wasn’t chess, but science. After high school she went on to graduate from Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, Penn., with a degree in neuroscience. She eventually became a research technologist in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and was about to pursue a PHD program before her untimely death. So to honor her love of science, the Iyer brothers decided to donate the money raised on May 21 to the Muhlenberg College’s Neuroscience Department.

In an email conversation, the brothers described Beebe as a “smart and promising young woman of science.”

“We want to honor her memory and hope that the younger generation is inspired by her just like we were after hearing of her accomplishments.”

After they heard about her passing, the brothers reached out to her mom, Charlene Beebe, and asked if they could host a chess tournament in Erin Beebe’s memory.

With the blessing of the Beebe family, and help from the over 30 local businesses that sponsored the event, the Iyer brothers held a Chess for Charity tournament in the basement of the Sparta Library.

The Iyer brothers described a loose atmosphere during the tournament, with players trickling in throughout the day, joining in during different rounds. Venkat Iyer, their dad, helped direct the tournament, along with Michael Brawer, another “chess dad,” as described by the Iyer brothers.

“Though it was their first time running an in-person tournament, they did a great job in keeping the time for each round and running the tournament smoothly,” the brothers said in a joint statement.

For the event, the library was adorned with photos of Beebe and the various event sponsors, as well as Chess for Charity merchandise, including colorful chess sets, T-shirts, and chess-themed chocolates.

Sparta High School Chess Club Coach Tom Murray was also on hand to help guide some games for non-tournament players, and those who may have been curious but too timid to play.

And what’s a chess tournament without brain food? The Sparta Dunkin’ donated donuts and coffee, and pizza was provided at a discounted rate by Villa Capri II. In addition, Ibranyi is Floral, a florist based in Newton, provided flower arrangements.

At the tournament’s conclusion, two different groups earned standings: the unrated group and the open group. For the unrated group, first place went to Brianna Mesias, second place went to Dante Assaraf, and third place went to Colby Woods. For the open tournament, first place went to Ayush Iyer, second place went to Griffin Brawer, and third place went to Imad Panjwani. Trophies and medals were distributed by Coach Murray and Akshat Iyer, the oldest Iyer brother, who also just completed his first year at UPenn.

Akshat thanked everyone for their support, including the Sparta Library for hosting the event, the sponsors for their donations, and the players for participating in the tournament. He added, “The cause for this event is all around us today, which we shall remember, as Erin is an inspiration.”

At the end, Ayush Iyer, a sophomore at Sparta High School, announced that Chess for Charity had raised $2,500 with this event. He said that their initial goal was to raise around $500 to $1,000 and they were touched by the generosity and support of local businesses in town. He also thanked all the support from sponsors, players and donors.

At the end of the day, the Iyer family visited Charlene Beebe to give her the flowers and thank her for her support for this event.

“The Iyer brothers’ goal is to help as many people as possible while supporting their local community. They want to do this through their love for the game of chess,” they added in their joint statement.

Chess for Charity’s next summer chess camp is scheduled for the week of July 25 and August 1, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Registration is currently open. Visit the following website for more information: iyerschess.org/upcoming-events.