Wizard of the Month Spotlight - March 2026 - Basil Savitsky

Our employee of the month is Basil Savitsky from Oregon!

 

Basil is the embodiment of what it means to be a chess wizard.  He comes to class with jokes and riddles, ready to spread the magic.  He is always easy to work with and is an excellent member of our team.

 

Basil, thank you for being such an outstanding employee and teacher!

To show our appreciation for your dedication and hard work – please check your email this week for a special gift from us.

 

Cheсk out our interview with Basil below:

 

1. Who are you, where do you come from, where are you going? 

I am a writer, futurist, and philosopher. I am semi-retired and enjoying living in Portland, Oregon with Holly, the love of my life, our dog Renard, and our cat Ma Petit Cherie. I hail from a family of academics, so I was born at the University of Florida; my first memory is from Princeton. We moved from the University of California, to a quiet college town that turned into a major football campus, where I was raised – at Clemson University. I taught geography for a spell at Clark University in Massachusetts and Environmental Studies at Florida State University before switching careers to focus on positive youth development.

 

2. How long have you been teaching with Chess Wizards?

6 wonderful months.

 

3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned since you started teaching? That our afterschool programs are a lot like a classroom and a lot like recess. However, they are more like a blend of the two and differ from both. Like any talent, the play of the game is a lot like improv. One needs to learn the structure of the basics, before experiencing the thrill of creativity. 

 

4. What is the most exciting experience you have had while playing or teaching chess?

My claim to fame in playing – In 1972, in the wake of Bobby Fisher defeating Boris Spassky, I was the VP of the Clemson University Chess Club, the SC state champion visited and played the 16 of us in an exhibition tournament. There were 2 draws, and I was the only one on my team to win. 

My joy in teaching – In December 2025, I was at the demo board asking my Chess Wizards a question. There were so many hands raised to answer that I was at a loss as to who to pick to give an answer. Teddy was so enthused he could not contain himself and began jumping up and down with his hand waving in the air. At that moment I knew this lad was developing what might just turn out to be a lifelong love of the game. His energy inspired me and amplified my desire to teach chess.

 

5.  How do you motivate your students to succeed? 

I think enthusiasm is contagious. When I get genuinely excited about their successes, they want to keep leveling up their game.

 

6.  If you could retire tomorrow and never have to worry about money again, what would you do with your time?

Exactly what I am doing now, with an increased amount of international travel.

 

7.  What’s your go-to technique for dealing with ‘handful students’? 

Asking them to help me do something, or even better, to help other students. All my wizards know about how a 1-room schoolhouse works. We are a mix of ages and talent levels in one classroom, helping each other learn. 

                                                                                                                                     

8. What is an unusual place you have been to? 

Either the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul (very near the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque) OR Mozart’s house in Vienna.

 

9. Do you have a talent that not many people know about? 

I love feeding people and have become a pretty good cook. A paella served with Russian salad is inspired by travel to Barcelona.

 

10. What’s your #1 teaching tip?

I will riff off a quote from Nelson Mandela, modified to be about chess, which all my students and their parents know to be my motto: “There is no losing in chess, only winning and learning.”

 

11. What is something interesting that you’re involved in, outside of Chess Wizards? 

I am currently finishing a futurist text, writing two novels in varying degrees of revision (magical realism), and working towards certification as a professional editor.         

                                                                                                                                                                           

12.  If you saw a kangaroo and a chimpanzee playing chess what would you do? Who do you think would win? 

Tell myself not to wake up. Keep dreaming. Take flight. Remember to return to see how the game turns out. Suspect it will be a draw, because the most perfect games often end that way.

 

13.  Star Wars, Star Trek, or they’re both lame? 

I had to ponder this one for a day. Good science fiction is a lot like my work in futures – world-building based upon a vision. In the end, I decided upon Star Wars, because of its archetypal and mythological depth. Star Trek has a variety of clever tales and is thought-provoking, but Star Wars is classic saga.

 

14. What do you like most about working with Chess Wizards? 

The people. Literally everyone has been amazingly informative and incredibly supportive. The collective sense of humor and commitment to love of the game has been refreshing.