A Full-Circle Story: Chess Wizards at the Hurley School
Thanks to a long-standing partnership with Chess Wizards, each year ESP Boston introduces a new crop of Hurley School students to the game, helping them develop skills that extend far beyond the chessboard. This popular program always has a waitlist and many students have come back year after year. For the beloved instructor Ray Bowens, the program offers an especially meaningful opportunity - to return to the school where he first discovered chess and to share its life lessons with the current students.
The Hurley School has been a part of Bowens’ family for generations. He is a Hurley alumnus, his grandmother was an employee, his aunt continues to work there, and his cousins also attended. When he returned to the Hurley as a chess instructor, he began another chapter in his family’s longstanding connection to the community. Bowens’ own chess journey began in the early 1990s, when then-Hurley gym teacher, Coach Jamie Nearhos, introduced him to the game. Nearhos taught Bowens the fundamentals and even brought a chess grandmaster to speak to students. These experiences sparked an interest that would stay with Bowens long after his childhood.
“I started playing chess thanks to the initiative at Hurley. It taught me how to evaluate situations and options carefully, leading to better decision-making in both my life and career,” Bowens reflects.
Today, Bowens enjoys passing those insights on to a new generation. Through three seasonal sessions of Chess Wizards classes, he helps students discover not only the game itself but also the valuable lessons it can teach about patience, critical thinking, and good judgment. For Bowens, chess is about more than anticipating an opponent’s next move. It encourages students to consider their options, think through possible outcomes, and learn from their choices. When a game doesn’t go as planned, students also have an opportunity to practice resilience, reflect on their mistakes, and try again.
Bowens’ passion for the game is apparent every Wednesday at 3:30pm when 1st-6th graders gather around him to learn new strategies, play friendly matches, and help each other navigate through moves. More than 150 students of all ability levels have participated in the program, which also includes access to Chess Wizards regional tournaments where Hurley students can compete against children from other schools. Over the years, it has become common to see new instructors observing Bowens’ teaching methods and to see his students enthusiastically playing chess with friends during indoor recess at the Hurley.
Bowens says that one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is watching students connect what they learn to the world outside the classroom.
“I enjoy helping students learn to apply careful decision-making to their own lives. I hope the kids take away the lesson that every setback or ‘loss’ is an opportunity to learn and grow,” he says.
Since 2021, ESP Boston has managed a variety of after school extracurriculars, like the Chess Wizards partnership at the Hurley School, to connect students with fun educational experiences and dedicated instructors like Bowens. Bowens recognizes the role ESP plays in making these opportunities available, noting that “ESP provides essential support that enables these enriching programs to reach the kids and make a lasting difference in their lives.”
Bowens’ journey from Hurley student to instructor brings his story full circle. He is grateful for the opportunity he had to learn chess at the Hurley and he appreciates the impact one teacher can make in a child’s life. Through his love of chess, Bowens is passing along more than a game. He is helping students build resiliency, think strategically, and face life’s challenges with confidence.
