Get to know McMinnville Chess Club and our regulars with our Community Spotlight series. In this spotlight focus, we’re joined by long-time attendee and club co-organizer, Santiago Tenesaca.
Christefano Reyes (CR), Mac Chess: What brought you to chess?
Santiago Tenesaca (ST): I always say that I learned to play it by mistake. My mom signed me up for the elementary after-school chess program in Cuenca, Ecuador, when I was 8. As I continued learning about chess, I fell in love with it, and suddenly I realized that I could play and create things on the board.
CR: What keeps you going?
ST: In chess, like in life, you never stop learning; therefore, I’d like to keep improving my game at the same time I have fun, regardless of the tournament results I get. Also, it is a lot of fun to connect with people through a chess game, even if no words are spoken during a game!
CR: What does the chess club mean for you? What would you like more people to know about?
ST: The McMinnville Chess Club means to me a safe space where people from any culture, language, religion, gender preference, political views, generation, etc. can connect through a chess game and share ideas, chess anecdotes, and their passion for this ancient game.
I want people to know that chess is for anybody, regardless of their skill level and personality type. There’s a misconception that chess is only for introverted people, which is not accurate.
Additionally, chess can help people to improve their critical thinking skills, patience, perseverance, focus, and so on. Chess is a great workout for the brain, so the more you play and study it, the sharper your brain will be to tackle daily life situations!
CR: What kinds of chess do you either play or enjoy the most, and why?
STST: I love playing blitz (3min. + 2sec.) due to the adrenaline rush. However, in terms of improvement, it has been proven that longer time controls help with the quality of the game due to players have more time to think about their moves.
Additionally, I enjoy playing long games in official chess tournaments since it is not only a mental battle on the board but also a physical one. I’m currently training to play in the Oregon Open Chess tournament at the end of August in the 2000+ category.
CR: What’s your favorite chess opening at the moment?
ST: I love open games because they are wild, so any opening that would give me an open position fits well with me at the moment. I grew up playing closed and semi-open games, so it was about time for a change.
CR: If you could give your younger self one piece of chess wisdom and advice, what would it be?
ST: This is a hypothetical question, so I’d say “believe in yourself despite disappointments and learn a lot from the games you lose”.
CR: Has chess made you into a better person?
ST: Absolutely! Chess keeps your ego in check all the time, and it has helped me become a more patient, understanding, compassionate, humble, and better problem solver, among other things.
CR: Anything else you’d like our readers to know? Do you have any passions or pastimes outside of chess you want to tell us about?
ST: I love playing soccer, tennis, doing trail running, and doing weight training in my spare time. Believe it or not, it is very important to be in good shape to keep up with the physical demands of tournament play. I have figured that in a two-day chess tournament (4 four-hour games), I burn more calories than if I had done trail running (10 km/6.2 miles) for about 70 minutes.