Orrin “Checkmate” Hudson is going to Birmingham, AL this month to give the kids in the housing projects where he grew up a Christmas present.  But the DeKalb County resident won’t be delivering the usual toys or computer games. Hudson says he’s going to empower the kids with the knowledge they need to get out of the projects and stay out.  His high school English teacher, James Edge, empowered him by teaching him how to play chess. The game saved Hudson’s life.

“I’m going back because I want the kids to know how to think it out—not shoot it out,” said Hudson, who, as a teen, was stealing tires and struggling in school. The seventh of 13 children, Hudson grew up in and out of state foster care.

Today, the 46-year-old is an international speaker who has become known for mentoring kids through the game of chess. Hudson has been the subject of media outlets across the country, including CNN and People magazine for his innovative and successful work with disadvantaged youths. This summer, he was honored in Philadelphia for winning the World Open in 10 minutes.

“I take my queue from people like Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, who are big givers. If you want to be successful, you have to give back. Going to Birmingham is my way of giving back to my community,” Hudson explained.

Hudson has been encouraging kids since 2001 when he learned of an incident in which seven Wendy’s restaurant employees were shot—five of whom died – in a $2,400 robbery. The tragedy inspired Hudson to quit his job and use his life savings to found Be Someone, a not-for-profit organization designed to raise self-esteem while teaching responsibility and analytical thinking skills to at-risk children.  

“You just never know. The life we save may be our own,” Hudson said. “We all have to do our part to train our youths, to help them stay on track.”
Recently, Hudson showed a group of students at Arabia Mountain High School in DeKalb how chess can help them to make the right moves in life. Hudson demonstrated those moves with giant chess pieces during his Lunch and Learn “Think Like A Champion” chess clinic.

“I made a challenge to them. I told them I would pay $1,000 to any of them who beat me in a chess game. None of them beat me—because they were not trained,” Hudson said. “The rewarding thing about the challenge, though, is they were inspired to try. My message to them is every master was once a disaster  When I first started playing chess,  I lost all my games. What if I would have quit and said this is not for me?”

Hudson says he plans to host an after-school chess program at Arabia Mountain High beginning in January. While he wants kids to learn how to play chess, Hudson says his main goal is to teach them to utilize the resources that are available to them to succeed.   

“In chess, you have the same amount of resources that your opponent has. You have everything you need to win,” Hudson said.  “I remind kids that it’s not about blame, it’s about aim.”

The message is one that Hudson has taken to other schools including Rock Chapel Elementary School in Lithonia. Hudson delivered that message to a group of students and fathers during a Chess Night that was held on Dec. 3. Principal Angela Jennings used the event to create an opportunity for more fathers to interact with their children at school. Calling the event a success, Jennings said she plans to hold another Chess Night on Jan. 15, 6 p.m.  

For more information or to participate in the next Chess Night at Rock Chapel Elementary, contact Patrick S. Muhammad, assistant principal of Instruction, at 678-676- 3802.