Chess is a sport of the mind. Chess is a battle of wills. Chess is great mental exercise.

The whole idea behind the Manheim Township Chess Club is to promote the game, teach it and bring like-minded players together.

The Manheim Township Chess Club meets from 6 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster. The chess club is a relatively recent development, but one that seems to be gathering momentum.

"I like ... thinking through moves," said William Lee, the founder of the Manheim Township Chess Club and a rising sophomore at Manheim Township High School. "Chess requires planning ahead and foresight. That type of thinking improves your mind. You also have to have a sense of what moves are good. Generally, the player who can see further ahead will win."

There are currently about 20 members involved with the Manheim Township Chess Club, from beginners to intermediate in their skill levels. Meetings consist of short formal lessons or pointers, informal games and tips offered by more experienced members to those who are newer to the game.

The Manheim Township Chess Club is sponsored by the Manheim Township Education Foundation, whose $125 grant provided 10 chess sets to help the club get started. Lee said that the growth of the club has been limited by a lack of chess sets.

"For members who are complete beginners we have special sets to teach them how the pieces move," said Lee. "Or we have another member sit down and teach them how to play. If we see a bad move, we talk them through it. Chess is not hard to learn, but it's hard to get good at."

"Actually, we've seen a pretty big increase in the popularity of chess," continued Lee.

Lee's father introduced him to the game of chess during his early elementary years. "I don't play a lot of tournaments," Lee said. "I mostly play online." Lee is also a member of the Manheim Township High School chess team, which competes in an interscholastic league.

"I kind of grew up at the library," said Lee. "There are a ton of great players, and I wanted to do something at the library to give back. I thought I could do something with chess. ... It's also good for recruiting for the (high school) chess team and the longevity of the chess team."

When Lee isn't starting chess clubs, you can find him playing the cello or the piano, working on a project with his school's robotics team or participating in a math competition. He also enjoys reading.

"Chess is one of my favorite things to do," said Lee. "I like things that have to do with thinking. It's fun to have a community like the chess team and the chess club that enjoys doing the things I do."