Theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate Richard Fynman once compared discovering the laws of physics to learning the rules of chess merely by observing a chess game. “You

don’t know the rules of the game, but you’re allowed to look at the board from time to time, in a little corner, perhaps. And from these observations, you try to figure out what the rules are,” he said.

 If the makings of a great chess player are akin to the makings of a great scientist — a keen intellect and relentless curiosity — Corner Canyon High’s Bobby King is calling “checkmate.”

President of the Charger’s Chess Club, Philosophy Club, and a member of the Science National Honor Society, King has a lot of interests and hobbies. He volunteers and plays guitar on the weekends at Primary Children’s Hospital and founded the Utah branch of the Student Led Chess Association, organizing tournaments and chess camps for children and high schoolers.

“I just have a love for helping others,” King says, “and a love for chess, so if I can blend those together, it’s quite nice.”

But above all he says, “my passion is physics and mathematics.” King has been accepted to Cornell University where he plans to study theoretical physics and pursue a Ph.D. with the aim of working in academia as a researcher and professor.

Anxious to get situated at Cornell and embrace all the unknowns ahead, King is feeling equally nostalgic about moving on.

“It’s definitely going to be a transition, but a positive one,” he says.

As for students who are looking ahead to their own graduation, King encourages them to do what interests them. “Don’t let anyone discourage you from doing that,” says King. “It doesn’t matter what other people think if you’re doing something constructive, that’s not going to hurt anyone, then you should feel free to do that. You should never give in to what other people say regarding your education. You should always forge your own path.”