Xyaire Hill, a Cleveland chess champion, acknowledges the game for sharpening his focus and discipline, traits he plans to apply to his future studies in electrical engineering.
CLEVELAND — Chess is a game of strategy. Of discipline. Of thinking ahead.
This classic game also has strong connections to Cleveland, with the city being home to the largest chess archive globally, housed in a third-floor room at the Cleveland Public Library’s Main Branch.
It was in this room, within the library’s Special Collections Room, that we had the chance to meet Xyaire Hill, a recent graduate from a Cleveland high school who grasps the analogy that life, much like chess, is all about strategically planning the next move.
“I was almost the chess champion last year. So I had to come back and get it before I graduated,” Xyaire told us.
Chess dates back more than 1,500 years. Over time, it moved across continents, culture to culture, player to player. In Cleveland, thanks to the vast private collection of early library board member John G. White, the game found not just a home—but a legacy.
White’s gift to the city formed what is now recognized as the largest chess library in the world, holding thousands of books, rare game pieces, scorecards from legendary matches, and historic chessboards—like a Scandinavian replica set dating back to the year 1200.
“That would be a kick! Game would be the same, wouldn’t it?” Leon asked of Xyaire who agreed. “Yeah, it would be the same.”
Xyaire, who started playing at age seven, is a proud graduate of John Marshall High School, whose chess team consistently performs at the district level and has competed on the national stage.
He says chess helped him focus, raise his grades, and develop the discipline that will serve him at the University of Akron, where he plans to study electrical engineering.
“It’s a thinking game and you can’t rush off all moves. Then actually it gets really fun,” Xyaire explained.
During our time together, Xyaire taught Leon a few things—on the board, and off.
“How many moves ahead are you thinking?” he asked. Xyaire said, “I usually try to think three moves ahead.”
That kind of foresight is something he says applies to life, too. Here’s a sample:
“You learn to think about your move before you make them which is like thinking before you act.”
“In chess you can always reset a position. But in life, you usually can’t always do that in case something happens.”
“Sometimes things happen and you have to rearrange your plan.”
A Champion and a Philosopher
Xyaire may have walked away with a championship, but it’s his perspective that sticks with you.
“Chess is a game of strategy. In many ways, it represents life. good move; bad move. Each move a consequence. Like life.”
From ancient artifacts to modern-day wisdom, it’s a story that’s true—then and now.
