A public chess club based in Aspinwall is expanding its offering to provide more opportunities for anyone interested in playing one of the world’s oldest board games.
Chess enthusiast Donald Mazreku lives in Aspinwall and created the Aspinwall Chess Club Facebook group in 2022.
Mazreku works full-time as director of student services at the Western Pennsylvania School For The Deaf and is married with four children.
He moved to Aspinwall in 2018 and regularly played porch chess with his late friend Stephen Baucom of Aspinwall, who died in 2024.
“We would always play and he was battling cancer for many years. This was something very important in his life, too — playing chess — and helped us form a really nice bond. When he passed, that took a hit. He was a really good friend.”
Mazreku recently completed a PhD program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and plays at the Southern Knights Chess Club in the South Hills.
“Chess does allow you to quiet your mind and allows you to focus on just what’s happening on the board. And it takes practice,” Mazreku said.
Since then, Mazreku has recommitted to promoting his love of chess and promoting the social and mental benefits of the game throughout Aspinwall.
“I was about 5 when I learned chess from watching my father and uncle play,” Mazreku said.
The informal club has more than 100 members and Mazreku organizes regular chess play times, usually at Fireman’s Memorial Park and Treat Down The Street on Commercial Avenue in Aspinwall’s business district.
All chess skill levels are welcome.
“We gather and try and pair up those with similar chess skills,” Mazreku said. “When kids come in, I give them an introduction if they’re learning. The objective is to always have a positive experience and a fun time.”
Mazreku supplies the portable chess games and it’s free to play.
“I’ve played and lost to kids under 10,” Mazreku said. “Never trust anyone under four feet tall. Even at that young age, you can have a very strong player develop. Chess is about concentration and thinking through steps.”
The club most recently hosted a booth during Aspinwall’s Big Night Out.
“It means a lot coming back to Fireman’s Park. The borough has been wonderful and supportive and they let us come and play,” Mazreku said. “It’s something that’s brought the community together.”
The club meets year-round.
“You can learn chess at any age. It’s never too early and it’s never too late,” Mazreku said.
Treat Down The Street co-owner Patrick Sharbaugh has been playing chess since college and offers the ice cream shop up as a venue year-round, particularly during the winter months when outdoor play isn’t an option.
A chessboard board available to customers there.
“It’s nice to meet people that are interested in the same thing and we’re welcoming of everybody,” Sharbaugh said.
