Chess in San Quentin: Building Bridges Across the Board

I want to share a special story about my good friend, Abel, and how he chooses to spend his Thursday mornings—and sometimes Tuesday evenings—with a truly unique group of chess players. Some people volunteer once and walk away feeling good, knowing they’ve given back. But then there are others—like Abel—who go further. Who quietly and consistently show up, week after week, investing their time, energy, and heart to make a real, lasting difference in people’s lives.

Chess at San Quentin

Just across the bay in Marin County, California’s oldest state prison—San Quentin Rehabilitation Center—has become an unexpected hub for strategy, learning, and community through the game of chess.

Every week, International Arbiter Abel Talamantez leads a chess program in partnership with San Quentin SkunkWorks, an incarcerated-led innovation lab that designs and tests new approaches to justice reform. The main sessions are held on Thursday mornings from 8–10 a.m. in the chapel, where players strengthen their fundamentals, explore new concepts, practice tactics and strategies, and have now started playing rated games.

Most players already know the basics—many fall within the 1000–2000 rating range, based on Coach Abel’s impressions. The sessions are interactive and analysis-driven. Players review their games, ask questions, discuss different playing styles, and challenge each other to think critically about their decisions over the board. They play daily, record their games, and bring their notation to Coach Abel for review and discussion.

The program recently secured 16 official US Chess Federation memberships for players inside San Quentin. This is a milestone—soon, the prison will host USCF-rated tournaments, giving incarcerated players the opportunity to track their progress in a formal, recognized way. The team is now actively recruiting outside USCF-rated players to visit and compete, so the ratings of San Quentin players can more accurately be reflected through rated games with players of various strengths.
The first rated round took place a few Thursdays ago. Before it began, Coach Abel reviewed essential USCF tournament rules, including the concept of adjournment—a practice that has mostly disappeared from modern tournaments but remains useful in San Quentin’s unique setting. When a game is adjourned, players keep their scoresheets, analyze the position, and resume the game during the next session.

Here is a game that Coach Abel sent from one of their first rounds.

That day, the group also analyzed a high-level game filled with wild tactics and brilliant sacrifices. The discussion was lively and passionate. Many players at San Quentin favor a tactical style, often creating sharp, open positions filled with traps and dynamic opportunities.

Since most of the players are very tactical, when Coach Abel plays, he tries to do positional on purpose and sees what happens, how the players react, and what new ways they can come up with to assess the position.

For those interested in getting involved, volunteering is possible—with prior approval from the prison. Volunteers should be chess players (rating level is less important) who are community-minded and see the bigger picture of what a program like this can achieve. It's an enriching experience for those who believe in the power of chess as a tool for transformation and connection.

This isn’t San Quentin’s first foray into chess outreach. Not too long ago, I had the privilege of joining FM Paul Whitehead inside San Quentin for a very special chess event called Pawns to Progress. That day, incarcerated players and correctional officers teamed up to play collaborative games side by side. It was a rare sight—walls and uniforms faded into the background, and all that remained was the rhythm of shared strategy, laughter, and the click of pieces moving across the board.

Here’s a short video that beautifully captures the spirit of that day:

For Abel, who’s there every week, rain or shine, the program carries deep personal meaning. “It gives me a great sense of accomplishment to give back to the community—as the Coach of the Hamilton K-8 School in Novato, my mission is to try to use chess to prepare the kids for the challenges that await them. Working with the guys in San Quentin, many of them are using chess as a means of personal self-improvement, also to strengthen them for the challenges that lie ahead. The power of chess to teach personal life skills, learning how to improve, the preparation needed, hard work and study, the resilience and grit it can build, prepares you to be better at anything in life”, he shared. Inside San Quentin, he has met people working hard to change, to take control of their lives, and to prepare for a better future. With rated tournaments now on the horizon, a new chapter is beginning. The 64 squares have become more than a game—they’re a space for reflection, discipline, camaraderie, and hope.

If you’d like to learn more or get involved, visit San Quentin SkunkWorks here. Bay Area players are welcome to join the Thursday sessions in person, while others can support by helping cover the cost of USCF memberships or equipment. For more information, reach out to: hello@sanquentinskunkworks.org.

Even in the most unlikely places, chess continues to open minds—and build bridges that span far beyond the board.

Thanks for reading. Until next time,
Judit

Special thanks to Abel Talamantez for the annotated game, and to Yasmine Barghouty, Natalia Wodecki, and Kai Bannon from San Quentin SkunkWorks for their valuable feedback, guidance on wording, and for providing approved images.