HBCU Chess Spotlight: Charles Lindsey, Jr. (Hampton)

Daaim Shabazz April 27, 2025

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Charles Lindsey, Jr. and Breon McCray had a vision a few years ago at Hampton University. The Detroit natives decided to turn their passion for chess into an organization. The group’s purpose was to gather like minds, refine analytical abilities, and engage in satisfying social interaction.

**Charles Lindsey, Jr.,**
*President of Hampton University Chess Club*

Lindsay is a graduating senior and, along with McCray, has put the club on firm footing. The school brought 14 players to the 3rd HBCU Chess Classic in Atlanta, fielded three teams, and made an impression with their business attire.

*Hampton University at the 2025 HBCU Chess Classic at Martin Luther King International Chapel in Atlanta, Georgia*

The Hampton Pirates came with 14 players, eight of whom were women! This is a big departure from most co-ed competitions, where men greatly outnumber women. After the event Chevelle Brown (Detroit) gave a motivational speech to encourage all of the female participants to recruit more women into chess. It appears that the club leadership is leading by example and it was a wonderful sight.

Lindsay has led the movement at Hampton, growing the club to 70 members. This is quite an improvement from the early days when chess was relegated to sporadic play around campus. Hampton’s chess origins are in 2000, when Dr. Sid Credle taught chess as part of the MBA curriculum. Lindsey and McCray (immediate past-president and co-founder) knew the history but wanted chess to be more widespread and extend outside the business school. The movement has been met with great success.

“Try everything, even when it’s scary or uncertain, because every experience helps you grow.”

~Charles Lindsey, Jr.

Lindsey, with his very refined posture and military bearing, presents leadership that commands attention. He is a member of the Hampton Roads Naval ROTC and served as a Platoon Sergeant and NSI Instructor in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Upon graduation, he will be commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. With this set of leadership skills, Lindsey will leave behind a legacy that will pave the way for further integration of chess into the campus culture.