PERRYSBURG, Ohio — A call out to the community for chess players reached its targeted audience, and then some.
Strangers met for the first time over a friendly game of chess Tuesday afternoon in Perrysburg.
"Oh, chess is a game that I like from my heart, actually," Shamim Karim said. "This game is very good game."
One simple post on social media asking for fellow chess players has turned into some picking up old hobbies again.
"It's been a few years and I saw this as an opportunity to get back in the game and probably maybe learn something," chess game volunteer Tom Horrall said.
But it's more than just brushing up on how to "checkmate" or "fork" the opponent.
Michelle Keller, the woman who put the call out to the community, said for months, Shamim has been looking for someone to play chess with.
Little did she know, her request would end up benefiting all the residents at ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation.
"They're excited to see, 'okay, who's he going to play with next?'" Keller said. "It's just this buzz that gives them something to think about besides the ins and outs of living in a nursing home."
Keller said what used to be a void in Shamim's life is now filled with joy.
To him, it's just a game he loves.
"You can be a good player, you can be a moderate player somehow," he said. "But this is a good game, very good game. I think everybody should know this game."
Several more chess games are planned for the future, Keller said.
"This is a small thing," she said. "But the community doesn't realize how big it really is to these people here."