ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
Several weeks ago, Asheville police officers dusted off the chess boards at Pritchard Park and began taking on challengers.
“We stay pretty busy,” Sgt. Brian Hogan said. “We’ve gotten elderly, people coming and going from work, adults, kids, tourists, people from all walks of society, which is the neatest thing.”
Asheville Police Department officers are at the park from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, weather permitting, if you want to try to beat them in chess.
“We get to sit and hang out and talk to people who don’t normally talk with us,” Hogan said before telling a passer-by about a 17-year-old who beat all challengers a couple weeks ago.
“He cleaned house. He wiped out everybody,” Hogan said laughing.
On Wednesday, Chris Emerson, who has played the officers before, chatted about computers and books while playing Sr. Officer Isaiah Senyak.
“I just thought why not, just for the sport of it,” Emerson said when asked why he stopped to play.
The officers take on all comers, regardless of skill.
“It’s really cool because a wide cross-section of the community comes here,” Senyak said. “Sometimes it’s 10-15 people gathered around.”
That interaction with the community is what officers want.
“It just smashes down barriers people have because we come across as human,” he said.
