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A Tool for War or Diplomacy? | Chess Moves That Connect Two Nations
- Chess & Community
- Apr 4
- 9 min read
Updated: Apr 7
When chess pieces move strategically across a board, they do more than capture opponents—they capture imaginations, build bridges across cultures, and develop tomorrow’s leaders. The 12th Annual Chess & Community Conference showed us exactly how.
The morning sun cast long shadows across The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia as Lemuel “Life” LaRoche adjusted his magenta-rose bowtie and took a deep breath. Twelve years of building, twelve years of growing, twelve years of using 64 squares to change countless young lives.
Today marked the 12th Annual Chess & Community Conference, and as attendees began filtering through the doors, Life knew this year was different. Above him, three screens declared the theme: “Future Forward: Game Changers in a Global World.”
For the first time, young leaders from Lagos, Nigeria stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Athens youth, ready to demonstrate that chess transcends borders, languages, and limitations.
Morning Moves | Setting The Stage
Kimberly, the organization’s youth president, stepped to the microphone with her Nigerian counterpart Jamiu precisely at 10am.
“Welcome to the 12th annual chess and community conference!” she began, her voice carrying across the growing crowd of over 500 participants. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as she and Jamiu acknowledged the sponsors who had made the day possible. Parents settled into chairs, photographers focused their lenses, and most importantly, young people of all ages prepared for a day of competition, learning, and connection.
Introduced by Malachi, youth Vice-president of Chess and Community, Commissioner D. Fisher of District 5 approached the podium with wisdom and enthusiasm, his three decades of community experience evident in his confident stride.
“This is an inspiring gathering dedicated to Youth Empowerment,” he declared, scanning the room filled with potential. “One thing remains constant, the power of youth to shape the future”.
His words resonated with the teenagers sitting in the front row—some wearing Chess & Community t-shirts, others in the distinctive gear of Chess in Slums Africa. The commissioner didn’t see them as the future; he saw them as the present—change-makers with immediate influence.
As he spoke, Khary Payton—known to millions as King Ezekiel from “The Walking Dead” and the voice of Cyborg in “Teen Titans”—sat in the crowd with a proud smile after having returned to his hometown. A few seats away, Zach McLeroy, the Zaxby’s co-founder whose chicken empire began right here in Athens, nodded along with the commissioner’s words. Two very different success stories, both rooted in the same soil, both back to nurture the next generation.
Mid-Game Strategy | Scholarship & Recognition
By mid-morning, the spotlight shifted to the young voices that formed the heart of the conference. Brian announced this year’s “Think Before You Move” scholarship prompt: how technology forms a global culture. As the scholarship program had already helped 51 scholars over the past 11 years, the room quieted in respect as they gave honors to the memory of Gregory “ICUE” Jones.
Jada approached the microphone first, her confident posture belying any nervousness.
“The Positive Power of Social Media: A Global Citizen’s Tool for Connection and Opportunity,” she began, launching into an exploration of how technology bridges cultural divides. Her analysis of how platforms like Twitter and Instagram had amplified movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of media’s democratizing potential.
When Jamiu took the stage next, whispers rippled through the audience. The young Nigerian chess player, ranked ninth in his country’s under-20 category with a FIDE rating of 1,937, represented the conference’s global vision in human form.
“Chess, much like life, is a game where talent, discipline, and adaptability transcends nationality, and that is why I am here today” he stated, his accented English clear and measured. As he spoke about global citizenship, his hands occasionally moved as if positioning chess pieces, a physical manifestation of strategic thinking.
The final presenter, Aya, a senior from Cedar Shoals High School with experience living in Germany, Egypt, and the United States, brought another global perspective to the local stage. Her essay “Beyond Borders” drew gasps when she revealed her volunteer work creating audio lessons for visually impaired students in Egypt, which she continued remotely after moving to America.
As the presentations concluded, Life couldn’t help but smile. These weren’t just essay winners; they were embodiments of the future he envisioned when founding Chess & Community.
The recognition of “young geniuses” that followed only strengthened this feeling. When fifth-grader Maurion stepped to the microphone, his journey from struggling student to leader touched every heart in the room.
“Believe you can do anything and be a leader,” he encouraged, his young voice carrying surprising authority. “I used to have bad grades and didn’t listen to my teachers. Now I’m standing here.”
But it was Ferdinand’s story that brought many to tears. The young man with cerebral palsy had been initially excluded by peers from the chess program in Lagos’s Makoko floating slum due to his special needs.
The breakthrough came when he solved a complex chess problem that stumped others, making chess his “first language.” His path to becoming a champion and winning the 2024 Indomitable Heroes Award demonstrated the conference’s core belief: potential exists everywhere if given the chance to develop.
Star Player | Hometown Heroes Return
The energy shifted as Jayvon introduced Khary Payton, the voice actor and Athens native. The charismatic actor settled into his chair next to Charlie from Chess and Community and Mary from Chess in Slums with the ease of someone returning home.
“What’s your favorite project?” Charlie asked.
Payton smiled.
“I don’t pick favorites. I’m grateful for every role.”
He spoke about playing King Ezekiel in “The Walking Dead” and voicing Cyborg, a “16-year-old half-robot superhero” since 2002. But it was his reflection on growing up in Athens that captivated the room.
“People around town still recognize me as Dr. Payton’s son,” he shared, recounting how his father, a pediatrician, would venture to his office in the middle of the night for sick children, often providing medicine samples for families who couldn’t afford it. “I realized both of us were seeking connection—my father through medicine, me through acting.”
When the conversation turned to his later-in-life ADHD diagnosis, teenagers throughout the audience leaned forward.
“I’ve been accomplishing things despite my mind’s tendency to wander,” Payton admitted. Then, with emotion thickening his voice, he recounted two instances where casual conversations he had with friends helped them choose to continue living. “You never know the impact you’ll have on someone else.”
Zach McLeroy approached the stage next with confidence and settled into the interview chair. The billionaire entrepreneur painted a picture of a childhood spent outdoors in Athens—riding bikes, playing neighborhood games, being a Boy Scout, and developing a lifelong passion for drumming that began at age six.
“I had an internal belief I would be successful someday,” he revealed. “I even wrote my name down and told friends I will be rich and famous.”
When asked about starting Zaxby’s, his eyes lit up. “I loved the hospitality of restaurants from my high school and college jobs. I saw an opportunity—chicken fingers were only offered as appetizers, not entrées.” He chuckled as he recalled critics saying, “Your concept will fail because it only serves chicken.”
“That criticism drove me to work harder to prove them wrong,” he added, a lesson that resonated with the young entrepreneurs in the audience.
Both keynote speakers, despite their different paths, conveyed the same message: Athens roots could nourish global impact, and that strategic thinking—whether in business, acting, or chess—created opportunities that others missed.
A Vision Illustrated | The Art Gallery
Between formal presentations, attendees explored a thoughtfully arranged art gallery that added a visual dimension to the conference experience. Destyn White, the graphic designer responsible for this year's "Future Forward: Game Changers in a Global World" theme, showcased a collection of work that complemented the conference's mission.
White's designs incorporated chess imagery alongside elements representing global connection and youth empowerment—visual themes that echoed throughout the conference materials from program guides to signage. The gallery offered a quiet space for reflection amid the day's activities, with several pieces illustrating the relationship between strategic thinking and community building.
The artwork served as both aesthetic enhancement and practical reinforcement of the conference's core messages. Life and the organizing team had intentionally incorporated this visual element to ensure the event engaged multiple learning styles and forms of expression.
For many attendees, particularly the younger participants, the art gallery provided an accessible entry point to visualize chess, robotics, virtual reality and community engagement that were being discussed throughout the day.
Tournament Tension | Competition & Connection
By afternoon, the conference space transformed into a competitive arena. Elementary, middle, and high school students gathered at chess tables, the room suddenly quiet except for the soft click of pieces and occasional whispers of “check.”
The tournament rules were simple but strict: absolute silence during play, no external help, and handshakes before starting. For many young players, this was their first formal competition, and the concentration on their faces showed the seriousness with which they approached each move.
In one corner, members of the Clarke Central Chess Club faced off against students from the Ubuntu Cultural Exchange program. Concentration furrowed brows as each player calculated multiple moves ahead. When a Clarke Central player finally claimed victory after a tense tie-breaker, the opponents’ handshake afterward symbolized respect transcending competition.
Throughout the room, Khary Payton moved from table to table, occasionally sitting down to play quick matches with young participants. His celebrity status momentarily forgotten, he became simply another chess enthusiast sharing the joy of the game.
Photos taken by Joshua L. Jones from "Athens Banner-Herald" and Neva Drane from "The Red and Black"
Endgame | Vision & Future Moves
As afternoon light slanted through The Classic Center’s windows, Lemuel LaRoche Jr. stepped to the microphone to introduce his father, the organization’s founder and executive director. The younger LaRoche’s pride was evident as his father took the stage.
“Youth development doesn’t happen in a vacuum,” LaRoche declared, surveying the room where chess, robotics, virtual reality, and art had converged to create an environment of growth. He thanked Zach McLeroy for providing Zaxby’s gift cards to attendees and funding Youth Force, before inviting all members of Chess & Community and Chess in Slums to join him on stage.
The sight was powerful—dozens of young people from Athens standing alongside their peers from Lagos, united by a shared passion for strategic thinking. LaRoche emphasized the global reach that had been achieved, with kids from Tanzania, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic joining via livestream.
“This partnership between Chess and Community and Chess in Slums is creating global impact beyond Athens and Lagos,” he announced, before sharing upcoming initiatives—including plans to involve youth in developing robots to play soccer for the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta and establishing a future conference on the African continent.
As the conference drew to a close, LaRoche’s final words resonated through the hall: “Youth Development is an action, not just words.” The day had demonstrated precisely that—words becoming action, ideas becoming movement, and chess becoming a vehicle for global change.
The Final Move | Lasting Impact
As attendees filed out into the early evening, the conference’s impact lingered. Parents discussed how to support their children’s newfound chess interests. Educators exchanged contact information, planning future collaborations. Teenagers from Athens and Lagos walked together toward the exit, deep in conversation about robotics, chess strategy, and what it means to be a global citizen.
For Life, watching from near the door, the sight confirmed what he had known twelve years ago when founding Chess & Community: when young people learn to think strategically, consider consequences, and recognize patterns, they develop skills that serve them far beyond the 64 squares of a chess board.
In chess, as in life, the most powerful moves often appear simple. A pawn advancing steadily forward. A child learning to think before they move. A community reaching across oceans to connect with others. As the last tournament winners clutched their medals and cash, and the Chess and Community staff began breaking down chess tables, one thing was clear—the real game was just beginning.
Watch the full conference here For more pictures, please visit: The Red and Black Athens Banner-Herald
Founded in 2012, Chess & Community Inc. is a 501©(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering young leaders through critical thinking, problem-solving, and civic engagement. To learn more or get involved, visit www.chessandcommunity.org or follow @chessandcommunity on social media.
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