KARNS CITY - When 5-year-old Nick Lineman got a chessboard from a cereal box last July, he begged his dad, George Lineman, to teach him to play.

Lineman phoned Nick's grandfather in Johnstown and asked him to explain the game. That same day, he taught Nick what he'd learned.

"He's not bad," the proud dad boasted. "He can see one to two moves ahead."

Nick is even teaching his mother to play.

"Yeah, he sets her up," Lineman said with a laugh. "He'll say, 'Mom, you could move here.' Well, because she doesn't really know the game, she'll take his advice. Then Nick just takes her piece."

Nick recently visited the Karns City High School chess club. Headed up by ninth grade English teacher, Matt Bates, this is the first year it has been an official club. For the past 10 years, however, Bates has helped organize an All-School Chess Tournament.

"Chess is a good outlet for competitive spirits or just curiosity. It instills abstract and critical thinking, strategizing, and problem solving skills that the kids will use all their lives," he said.

Bates learned to play 22 years ago from his fifth grade teacher. He's played a lot of chess since then. Eight years ago he started playing "mail chess" with his friend and fellow teacher, Cullen Farrell. Because of their schedules, they play by passing each other their moves on paper.

Bates often starts his day with a greeting in the form of a chess move from Farrell posted at his classroom door: Knight B5 to Bishop A3. If Farrell is lucky, Bates will have time to post his countermove before the close of school. The two are closely matched.

"Right now I'm up one game," Bates claims.

Farrell takes the comment in stride.

"Yeah, I've been playing longer, so I should be winning!" said Farrell, who learned to play from his dad about 25 years ago.

The club meets every other Wednesday. Ninth grader Joe Pistorious attends regularly. He taught himself to play six years ago on a trainer game. That's a board with an electronic marquee advising the player how to move.

Joe often likes to play online so he can't see his opponent's face to figure out what move will be made. He also likes that he's playing against a different person every time.

Although he doesn't usually know whom he is playing, Joe once played a 92-year-old man from New York. Joe is cautious about asking for or giving personal information because of the warnings he frequently gets about the dangers of the Internet.

Another regular member is seventh grader, Daniel Sheehan. He won the All-School tourney this year.

Daniel showed Nick the four-move checkmate during Nick's club visit. When the two boys played, Nick managed to hang in much longer than four moves, but Daniel still prevailed.

That's ok though. According to Nick, "When you lose, it's just another chance to learn a move to win."