A New York City 12-year-old has turned his passion for chess into one for helping others. Raza Patel and his family spend their summers in the Boothbay region. A good deal of Raza's time is spent at the local library. Raza is an avid reader and a master chess player.

Patel said he is ranked in the top 100 chess players in his age group. During his summer vacation, he plays matches at Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and, for the last two years, he has given lessons through his nonprofit. Yes, the 12-year-old has his own non-profit organization, "Moves for a Mission."

Patel raises money for the charity which assists children in need. Patel began the nonprofit by uniting his two great passions: Chess and children's causes. He began "Moves for a Mission" a couple years ago.

He hosted an Aug. 26 chess event and received donations and contributions from participants and sponsors. "My nonprofit has grown a lot in the past year. We have learned so much about operating a fundraiser which has made a big difference," Patel said.

Like last year, all proceeds went to the library's Children's Room. Seven participants signed up to receive tutelage from Patel. The prodigy led an hour-long game session pointing out the difference between a good move and a great one.

Then the participants had a chance to test their skills against Patel. He played seven opponents at once. Matthew Gardner of Boulder, Colorado was one of them. He is vacationing in Boothbay Harbor. Gardner saw the invitation for participants and decided he couldn't pass it up.

Gardner has just started playing regular matches on the internet. In recent weeks, he has played a match online on a daily basis. So what did Gardner learn from playing Patel? "I learned to think things through two to three steps ahead and how to set up an attack with multiple pieces," he said.

In two days, Patel raised $2,012.31 with his "Moves for a Mission" fundraiser. Patel received sponsorships from 31 local businesses. The charity also held a silent auction for donated items.