Strategy requires thought

Elementary students take part in chess tournament

Posted 4/24/17

Local elementary students participated in the seventh annual chess tournament hosted by Eswood School.

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Strategy requires thought

Elementary students take part in chess tournament

Posted

Gently nibbling on her right thumbnail, Abigail Luxton carefully studied the checkered board in front of her. Without lifting her eyes, she moved her white rook an attack position – and then waited.

“”There are some moves you have to look for,” the 13-year old seventh grader said.

“You have to clear your mind and just let the game play and go from there,” classmate Jack Richolson said.

The two Eswood students were among almost 90 local elementary students who participated in their school’s seventh annual chess tournament Thursday afternoon in Lindenwood. The tournament culminated the brief chess season, which began after spring break.

Unlike past years, when there was only one competition, two tournaments were held this year, the first being in Steward two weeks ago. The tournaments are divided into three age divisions: third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth, and seventh and eighth. Trophies are awarded for the top three finishers in each division with each participant getting a medal for competing.

According to Steward chess coach Dave DeLille, the tournaments are held on a bracket system much like the NCAA basketball tournament. When a computer system caused some problems last year in determining the seeds, he decided to hold a separate tournament in Steward. The school held a smaller tournament last year, but just for his students.

The Steward tournament drew approximately 60 students, mainly from schools in the Meridian Conference and homeschooled students. Place finishers included: ¾ Division: Julissa Torres, first; Finn Hintzsche, second; and Oscar Ledezma, third; 5/6 Division: Jason Horner, first; Austin Raleigh, second; and Landon DeLille, third; and 7/8 Division: Jack Richolson, first; Jon Hansen, second; and Josh Slane, third.

Except for DeLille, who is from Steward, the rest are from Eswood School.

According to Eswood chess coordinator Phil Winters, the tournaments are all double elimination with each match lasting 20 minutes. If there isn’t a winner at the end of a match, points are awarded for the various pieces that have been captured with more points awarded for the more valuable pieces.

“The kids really like it,” Eswood Superintendent Joel Schwartz said, adding that it’s an impressive sight seeing 50 chess boards set up on tables in the school gym.

In Steward, Dave DeLille said his team ranges from kids who have played before to those who are “seeing a board for the first time.”

Like most of the chess players, Luxton is involved in several other activities, including drama, cheerleading, basketball and track. She and her younger brother Eli started playing chess about three years ago.

“I love it,” she said. “I love the competition and the challenge.”

Luxton, who won the fifth/sixth grade division last year, said she loves both chess and sports “equally.”

Like Luxton, chess runs in many families.

Austin Raleigh, a 10-year old Eswood fifth grader, said he started playing when he was four. “I told my grandfather I wanted to play chess so he taught me,” he said.

So why does he like it?

Besides using your mind, he said he “love the way you control the pieces.”

Richolson, who has played chess since the third grade, said his father taught him how to play. He said he likes the strategy that is used in the game. “It works your brain,” he said.

Both boys said they also play basketball.

Landon DeLille may have the best reason of all for playing chess. “My dad’s the coach,” the sixth grader said, “so I wanted to play.”

Landon, who has other siblings who also play chess, is also involved in soccer, basketball and volleyball, which he likes as much as chess.

“It’s fun,” he said of chess. “It works your mind.”

From an adult perspective, Greta Pfeifer of Courtland said she learned chess from her son, Javier, a nine-year old third grader at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Sycamore. His biggest problem, she said, is that he doesn’t have “a poker face,” meaning he lights up into a big smile whenever he sees an opponent about to make a mistake.

Like all the parents, she said the most difficult thing to do when watching her son play is to keep quiet, which is required of all players and spectators.