California Model, Inside CDCR Video, Rehabilitation

Chess tournament bridges gap at San Quentin

April 19, 2024

Officer S. Lopez, left, and Officer M. Hauwert face off across the table with their resident teammates.

A San Quentin Rehabilitation Center chess tournament was put on for staff and residents thanks to the Mechanics’ Institute and SkunkWorks.

Over 15 staff, including correctional officers, mental health, and a librarian, participated in the tournament. Many others arrived to watch and show support.

The tournament set residents and institution staff on teams to play chess together for two hours.

The Mechanics’ Institute, America’s oldest chess club, was approached by incarcerated resident Kai Bannon, of the SkunkWorks group, to host the tournament. The event’s goal was to bridge the gap between residents and staff.

Staff, incarcerated residents play chess at San Quentin

Watch the video from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center (story continues below):

Associate Warden Rosalez played chess for the first time after learning from her opponent, resident Erick Maciel.

“I don’t like not having the upper hand,” she joked. “Yes, I am enjoying this. Nothing goes beyond boundaries like enjoyment and intellectual curiosity. (Through chess,) I don’t see an inmate, I see a mind.”

Maciel, hearing Rosalez state her rank, said, “This (event) allows me to build connections with people I otherwise wouldn’t. I didn’t know you were the associate warden, so this is weird for me.”

Rosalez added, “It’s fun to just have fun with someone without the rules or status. To just have a good time on a rainy day.”

What is SkunkWorks?

SkunkWorks is a 501c3 nonprofit organization created to collect evidence-based research to present to administration with policy recommendations. The goal of the chess tournament was to bridge the gap and showcase the rehabilitative value of games.

The SkunkWorks inside members operate in “impact teams” consisting of committees to keep organized and focused, said resident and member Michael Hartley.

During the event, he was tasked with being the liaison between the committees, ensuring they have the support they need to do their jobs. It was the first time he had ever been asked to take up a leadership role. At first he felt anxiety, but he stepped up and learned to let it go, he said.

Incarcerated veteran joins group

Veteran resident Noah Winchester joined SkunkWorks to try something new.

“I wanted to be part of something that was outside the spectrum of what veterans usually do. It lets me take what I’ve learned here and introduce the people I’ve met here to our (San Quentin) veteran community,” he said.

Winchester and resident Vernon Evans taught Office Technician Silva Amador how to play chess. While Evans explained what each piece does, he told her the queen is the strongest piece, to which she nodded her head. Meanwhile, Winchester used military analogies to teach her how to play, which he said is how he learned to play as a kid.

“This was a good opportunity to get to know the population and challenge myself,” said Amador. “It was a lot of fun. At first, I was scared, and still am. But, (Evans) keeps cracking jokes and telling me what to do.”

Tournament becomes casual gap-bridging event

San Quentin chess game with two people, one of them incarcerated, shaking hands over the game board. — Dr. Pachinski, left, and resident Kai Bannon shake hands after their chess game.

Originally intended to be a tournament, the event instead became casual and relaxed. Participants simply played chess together without declared winners.

Officer S. Lopez said he is confident things will move in a positive direction at San Quentin with the California Model. He played in the tournament with resident Bostyon Johnson as his partner.

“I lost pretty quickly. I don’t play often but that was fun,” said Lopez. “It’s about the interactions, getting to know each other. I didn’t know that guy before, but now when I see him again, I can say hi. It feels nice to be able to know the residents. Normally you would walk by certain people and not even acknowledge each other. It’s nice to be able to know people and there not have to be a gap there anymore.”

At the event, around $2,000 worth of tabletop games and card games were donated to San Quentin by gaming companies like It’s Your Move. San Quentin SkunkWorks is planning to organize regular events in the future.

Submitted by Lt. G. Berry, Public Information Officer
Story from the San Quentin News
Written by Randy C. Thompson with photos by Aristeo Sampablo