Our mission: to use chess as a tool to build community, empower people, and bring about social change.

Founded in 2018 by Jonathan Martinez, The Pawn Initiative is an organization dedicated to growing chess opportunities in the community and enriching the lives of people from all backgrounds. The Pawn Initiative’s objective is to empower communities with the tools they need to play chess, and to use chess to develop friendships, teach life skills, learn to think critically, and keep the mind active.

Using outreach, workshops, chess instruction, and local and national partnerships, The Pawn Initiative aims to bring the educational benefits of chess to as many individuals as possible.

About Jonathan Martinez:
Jonathan has been playing chess for nine years and has competed in more than 200 U.S. Chess tournaments around the country. He is in the top 100 of 16 year old chess players in the U.S. and is a two-time Arizona scholastic state champion. Jonathan has placed in the top fifteen at National chess tournaments, and represented the U.S. at the 2017 World Youth Chess Championships in Montevideo, Uruguay. Jonathan is a U.S. Chess certified Senior Tournament Director and has directed in more than 30 tournaments.