East Elementary hosts chess tournament
On Wednesday, Jan. 11, the East Elementary Chess Club held its first of two chess club tournaments for the year. Twenty-five students, who took part in the club’s first session, culminated its ending in a tournament. The tournament was single elimination and consisted of six 15-minute rounds. First place went to fifth-grader Aiden Juan; second place to fourth-grader Gabriel Rolls; and third place to fifth-grader Javian Rhodes. Second-place winner Gabriel Rolls may have been the most excited about his place in the tournament as he had not played chess until this year.
Chess Club was open to East’s 4th and 5th graders of all chess playing levels. They learned various moves ranging from regular movements and capturing moves for each piece to more advanced moves such as castling. The goals of the chess club members included:
discovering new ways to improve their chess game
learning to demonstrate good sportsmanship
learning to have fun while thinking strategically and critically
Chess is not a game of luck. Chess can be a complex game. Exploring these complexities was part of the enjoyment of the chess club.
Students at East showed so much interest in the chess club that a second and morning session had to be added, to accommodate the 75+ students who signed up to join. The second session of East Chess Club will begin on Jan. 25 with its culminating tournament taking place on April 12.
Issued Jan. 26, 2023
