Our Story

Hi, this is Jason Lu, founder of CFS. I have been playing competitive chess for more than 7 years and hold the chess NM (National Master) title, the highest title one can earn from the US Chess Federation. I'm a junior at Millburn High School and the current 10th grade national chess co-champion.

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In 2019, I founded Chess For Seniors to give back to the community. My roots in chess came from local chess clubs such as the West Orange Chess Club and the Westfield Chess Club, and I wanted to give others the same great experience that I had as a young boy. I felt that I could make the largest impact by helping the elderly population since preserving a nimble mind is especially important to the quality of life for seniors. Also, my family has a history of Alzheimer's, which adds a personal touch to my mission and motivates me to help others even more.

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Therefore, I started partnering with local senior centers to offer free chess lessons to seniors, starting with Millburn, my hometown. With the help of Mrs. Jaimee Hawkins, I was able to teach chess in the Millburn Public Library after school. While Covid-19 effectively shut down any in-person classes, it opened the door for online training, allowing us to reach out to a broader audience. I hope our classes can introduce chess to seniors in a fun and enjoyable manner as well as encourage them to include chess in their daily routine to help them keep their minds sharp.

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In early 2022, due to our program's increasing popularity, Albert Yao joined the team. A chess Expert, Albert has been playing chess for 7 years and is currently ranked among the top 14-year-olds in the country. Later that year, our team doubled in size with the addition of Kelly Cao, Alex Hu, and Kevin Dai. Together, we aim to spread our love for the game and help others in the process.