On a Thursday night at Wackadoo Brewing, the chess showdown looks like this: a U.S. Chess Federation-rated National Master with a 2200 rating versus a USCF-rated Class A player with a 1900 rating.

For comparison, the former world chess champion is rated 2800, the highest of them all.

After the two men finally figure out the elusive device that will time their game — the first puzzle they must solve, jokes national master Daniel Herman — he and his opponent, Paul Anderson, start untangling the puzzle on the green and white chessboard in front of them.

Bobby Fischer would be proud, as pawns, knights and bishops fly around the board. The two players make a flurry of moves, each punctuated by the satisfying click of the timer. And then, movement halts. The chit and the chat have vanished, and silence reigns, minus the rock music playing from the brewery’s speakers. The men retreat deep inside, where they play out imaginary moves and outcomes, wondering how to outmaneuver the man opposite them.

Because this is a social chess club and not tournament play, it would be fine if someone wanted to crack a joke. But there are no one-liners forthcoming at the moment.

Who shall checkmate their opponent’s king first? Well, the national master, that’s who. But it doesn’t ruin Anderson’s night. In fact, he goes back for seconds. It’s all in good fun and good practice. He’s not about to become one of those bitter chess players who cut the heads off their queen or deface their other pieces, though he’s heard stories of such behavior.

“Probably the primary appeal is that it’s an exercise for the brain. It keeps your mind active,” said Anderson, who’s also president of the Colorado Springs Chess Club, which does tournament play for USCF-rated and non-rated players on Tuesday nights at Acacia Apartment Building.

“People like the competitive side of it,” he said. “You start with equal pieces and equipment, and whoever can come up with the better plan wins the game. It’s a mental competition.”

Lest you think Thursday nights at Balanced Rook Chess Club is all experts and stiff competition, think again. Because sitting nearby the two USCF-rated chess hounds at the long, blonde-wood picnic tables is a much more chatty, learning-focused match between Lloyd Gauthier and Levi Keen.

Gauthier, who runs Balanced Rook, has a 1288 USCF rating: “It’s better than average, but I’ve still got a long way to go.”

Keen, however, is a newbie. It’s only his second time at the club: “I’m terrible. I’m not rated at all.”

But there’s no shame in a bad game. It’s fine if you don’t know how many squares a pawn can move or have any semblance of strategy or if you just want to drink a homebrewed Czech With the Boss pilsner and watch a few games. Learning and socializing are what Balanced Rook is all about. Players are welcome to ask questions and go over strategy post-game play, and sometimes even during a game.

“If you’re playing against a newbie, you can tell them don’t make that move, look at the bishop over there,” Gauthier said. “You’re just playing for fun.”

There’s only one rule at chess club: No kibbitzing.

“It’s a Jewish term, but it’s a common thing in chess,” Gauthier said. “If I’m watching two people play, I can’t say oh he’s going to take the queen. It’s when you comment on someone else’s game when it’s in progress.”

This is the place for those who can’t find anybody to play chess with. “It takes too long,” “It’s too hard,” “I don’t feel like learning.” Chess lovers have likely heard the gamut of excuses when they dig out a board and go looking for opponents.

At Balanced Rook, you’ll always find a taker, including Gauthier, who mostly hosts unless there’s an odd number of players and someone wants a game. You can even challenge Wackadoo’s head brewer and founder, Steven Fuller, who keeps a chess board on the bar.

“I’m not great, but I’m a speed chess person,” Fuller said. “I like when it’s quick, so people don’t have 10 minutes to stop and think about a piece. Some of the very good chess players, if you rush them, they’ll start making mistakes. I can do OK then.”

Gauthier took over the club about 18 months ago, when it met at Library 21c. He moved it to Wackadoo in October due to easier scheduling, plus there are 20 hand-brewed beers on tap, along with homemade root beer and lemonade, and food. And the brewery location doesn’t mean the club isn’t family-friendly. Kids are allowed and welcomed.

On this Thursday night, 10-year-old David Shulman sits opposite a club regular, who’s wearing a black and yellow button-down decorated with chess pieces over a T-shirt emblazoned with the question: Are you sure about that move?

Shulman’s dad, Birge Shulman, hovers nearby, watching and marveling over the growth in his son’s gameplay week-to-week. He’s been bringing his son to the club every week for the last year.

“This began to be something he really looked forward to,” Birge said. “It started strengthening his confidence and his mental acuity. His ability to read increased, and his ability to converse with people who are older. It’s really been a huge plus.”

At the other end of the long stretch of picnic tables is Shirley Herman, the mother of the USCF National Master, who started competing in USCF-rated tournaments and directing her own tournaments a decade ago. She calls herself a 1200 USCF-rated player, at best, and often competes at the Denver Chess Club and in Anderson’s Tuesday night tournaments.

“I like the quiet of the room. I like the focus. It’s a puzzle you have to find a solution to,” Shirley said. “And being a woman in chess, and an older woman and a low-rated chess player, it’s satisfying to beat the old men or even young men. They hate to lose to me, but I get one once in a while.”

Details

Balanced Rook Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. Thursdays, Wackadoo Brewing, 5158 Centennial Blvd., free; peakradar.com/event/balanced-rook-chess-club