The SLU-Madrid’s Chess Club tried out for the first time one of the peculiar concept bars of the city. Madrid is associated with many activities, like soccer, bullfighting and drinking (particularly tinto de verano). In between the tapa bars and nightclubs lies an unlikely hidden gem: board games. Using public transportation, members made a journey to get to “Pub El Tren,” which is located 15 minutes away from SLU-Madrid’s campus. Tucked away in the corner, the bar’s textured stone walls, dim lighting and wooden furniture makes for a great gaming atmosphere.
The specialty cocktails and courtesy snacks set out members to challenge and chat with each other over pawns and kings. With every sip of alcohol, players’ skills of strategy and trash talk were put on display. Meanwhile, others who gave a moment of rest for their brains used more of their instincts with other games, like Connect 4.
A board game bar night out seemed like an obvious choice for a game club residing in a city that values drinking culture. There had been several attempts for the Chess Club to host this event in previous semesters, but the underlying worry of little to no attendance for an off campus meeting was cause for hesitation from previous leaderships. The Chess Club has seen much more activity in this past year than it had the previous two years before it. The next steps the club took was hosting outings to a chess cabin located in Retiro Park, eventually leading to this night event. Moreover, the club has made great strides in building a community that is founded in the power of friendship and free food.
