Although chess may have the reputation of a game for socially inept old men, the University’s chess team challenges the notion the game cannot be both social and mental.

The Chess Dawgs took second place Saturday in the Georgia Open Collegiate Team Chess Championship, losing to Georgia Tech. Sponsored annually by Emory University, 10 Georgia colleges participated, including Berry College, Mercer University and DeKalb Tech.

The Chess Dawgs said they were excited about the results.

“Winning as runners-up was a really good accomplishment for us,” Richard Francisco, a graduate student from Athens, said.

The University sent 10 players to compete on an A team and a B team. The players on the teams were ranked from best to worst.

Two players combined to play one game, each player receiving 45 minutes per game, Patrick Graham, a junior from Macon and president of the team, said.

Team member William Stewart, a junior from Atlanta, received a trophy for winning every round he played.

Graham called Francisco a “chess master.”

After winning two University inter-team tournaments, Graham is ranked as the team’s top player.

Graham founded the team in 2005 as a freshman.

He said he and a friend tried to join the University’s chess team but were surprised to find it didn’t exist.

At the group’s meetings, Graham said attendees usually play chess for fun and not competitively.

Sometimes they play blitz games, which consist of very quick matches in which each player has five minutes per game, he said.

“Meetings are a good way to talk and relax from the day,” Graham said.

“We try to keep the practices social and friendly and stay away from the chess stereotypes.”