School chess tournament draws more than 160 students to Elbridge Gale Elementary in Wellington
By Jeff Ostrowski, The Palm Beach Post, Fla. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
About 130 boys and 30 girls gathered for a countywide chess tournament Saturday at
Kids played five matches each during the daylong competition. Parents were required to stay outside the room during play.
After the fifth match, the decibel level in the cafeteria rose to a dull roar for an awards presentation. Among the age-group winners was
"It's such a fun thinking game," said Gabriella, president of Chess Nuts, her school club.
Gabriella said she benefited from the tournament's experiment with pitting boys against boys and girls against girls. With fewer girls playing, she had a better chance to win.
Tournament director
The result?
"We had more girls than ever before," Loudaros said.
Loudaros and other coaches laud chess as an educational tool. The game teaches concentration, analytical acumen and risk management, they say.
"Do you want your child to learn the consequences of risky behavior when they're driving a car, or when they're sitting at a chess table?" said
Gabriella's father thinks chess is training her in the valuable skill of looking a few moves ahead.
"I love the idea that it helps her think of the ramifications of everything she does,"
Coaches say the game also teaches kids to lose with grace. That was a lesson embraced by
Playing in only his second tournament, Donovan lost four matches before pulling out a win in his final contest.
"When you lose, you don't take it as a loss," he said. "You take it as a learning experience."
While the tournament was open to high school students, most of the contestants were elementary and middle schoolers. One player was only 5.
The younger boys played fast and aggressively, putting their queens in harm's way immediately. The middle schoolers, though, were more measured.
Devyn said he enjoys chess because "it helps you learn about military strategy." His younger sister, 6-year-old Kayla, said she competes strictly for the trophies.
___
(c)2013 The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.)
Visit The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Fla.) at www.palmbeachpost.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 464 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News