Two to four hours of play is nothing for members of the UW Chess Club, a group of aspiring Anatoly Karpovs who hope to one day incorporate boxing into their matches.

“Our goal is just to get together and play chess casually and to create an atmosphere in which players of different skill and interest levels can come and enjoy the game,” said club leader Joey Frantz.

Frantz has led the club since last fall and has been involved since 2007. An English major and Shoreline Community College transfer, he tells the story of his step-grandfather teaching him chess when he was 6 years old. When he was 9 or 10, he competed in his first chess tournament and became more and more serious about the game throughout middle and high school, reading books and playing online.

While some club members compete online using the Free Internet Chess Server or other online servers in their free time, soon-to-be UW graduate Peter Miller prefers the social aspects of the game.

“I don’t enjoy tournament chess,” Miller said. “I just like fooling around playing chess and talking to people.”

Miller, a computer science major, already has a job lined up at Microsoft when he graduates. Although he’s played chess since he was 5 and been involved with the club since his sophomore year, Miller said he’s not sure if he will continue playing. There is rumored to be a chess group at Microsoft, but Miller imagines it to be mostly middle-aged players in a not-so-social atmosphere.

About 25 members stop by on a regular basis.

“I wouldn’t say there’s an extreme level of variance, but yes, there are players of different skill levels,” Frantz said. “Those of us who played chess in middle school or high school at the tournament level play at approximately the same level and can enjoy games with each other. Some beginners come in, and although the more advanced players can beat them, we try to find ways for them to have fun and try to teach them things.”

For beginners, Frantz recommends Yasser Seirawan’s Play Winning Chess series or Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess to learn the basics of the game. For more advanced players, what a player studies depends on the manner in which he or she’s trying to improve, Frantz said.

So what does it take to be a skilled chess player?

“Perseverance,” Miller said. “A willingness to study and learn pattern recognition plays a big part, but mostly perseverance.”

Chess club member James You said the strategy involved in chess helps him as a math major. He also plays card games such as Hearts, Spades and sometimes poker. Like most members in the club, he played chess in high school.

“It’s the same as in any game,” You said. “A little competition, some analysis and a certain type of strategic thought. … I think chess is a harder game to just screw around in than other games.”

While many like You consider chess to be fairly intense, Frantz hopes that doesn’t discourage anyone from joining the club.

“I would say that [our meetings] are quite laid back,” Frantz said. “We chat constantly. It’s not like more serious chess clubs like the Seattle Chess Club where people sit in a musty room playing competitive games without talking at all.”

The meetings are indeed relaxed. Competitors converse cordially and don’t fight over who gets to be black or white. They sometimes order pizza and reminisce about old members they hope return some day.

Club members have discussed a less laid-back variation of traditional chess called chess-boxing, which is more popular in Europe. A hybrid sport, chess-boxing involves rounds alternating between boxing and chess. The first competitor to either get a checkmate or a knockout wins.

Until chess-boxing takes off at the UW, however, club members will focus on improving skills, enjoying each other’s company and entering a tournament here and there.

Last spring, the club competed with other universities in an online chess tournament through the United States Chess Federation. They didn’t win, but competed well considering some colleges even offer chess scholarships.

While some UW students play in other local chess clubs, most find the competition and atmosphere of the UW Chess Club is enough for them.

“UW students are not generally involved in the Seattle Chess Club or other groups because, as students, they are busy with so many other things and the club is a good place for UW players to get their chess fix,” Frantz said.

The group holds drop-in meetings twice a week that are open to all students and staff, and sometimes puts on special events or invites guests to meetings. Last year, former Women’s World Champion Susan Polgar came to campus to discuss her experiences with competitive chess.

For all those looking for a chess fix, the club meets in room 234 or 245 of the Mechanical Engineering Building on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m.

Reach contributing writer Molly Waldron at features@dailyuw.com.