Over the weekend, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music Director of Keyboard Studies Shun-Lin Chou was able to raise money for keyboard scholarships with a “chess-a-thon.”
Chou wanted to create his own unique way of raising funds to offer keyboard students financial assistance by imitating a marathon pledge system that highlighted his own strengths.
On Oct. 29, Chou gathered with a handful of donors and keyboard students in the Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall and played 20 games of chess simultaneously. Donors could give a flat rate or pledge an award for every game Chou won.
He walked from board to board taking his turn in a different game until they were all finished. The result was Chou winning 18 of the 20 games, losing one and drawing one, making it a lucrative day for keyboard scholarships.
“It was a pretty good result in terms of getting the pledge money. I’m not going to put a sticker on [the final amount raised], just because there’s still donations coming in,” Chou said. “But it was a good day.”
Chou got the idea after his colleague, John Barcellona, Professor and Director of Woodwind Studies John Barcellona, got donors to pledge an amount per every mile he finished in a marathon. Many of Chou’s students are familiar with his chess skills and have been asking to play him, so Chou came up with to make their chess games truly benefit the students.
“I thought [running a marathon] was much more admirable than what I did,” Chou said. “I kind of had the same idea, that I can play chess games.”
This was the first time the chess challenge has ever happened, but considering it’s success, Chou says we will host the challenge again.
“As a chess player, I’m always thinking ahead,” Chou said. “So, there’s already plans for a future addition of this.”
The money raised will go toward funding several scholarships for keyboard students, some completely covering tuition and some offering a few hundred dollars.