Middle School South Hosts Chess Championships

A hush fell over the room at Lake Zurich Middle School South Saturday as tournament competitors eyed their chessboards.

Players considered their options, sized up their opponents and boldly made their first moves. The first of four rounds was underway at the Lake Zurich District 95 Fifth Annual Junior Knights Scholastic Chess Tournament. Competition was open to all district students through eighth grade. Trophies were awarded to individuals and school teams.

The silence remarkable because it enveloped a room full of students in kindergarten through eighth grade, it helped these young chess players take full advantage of their skills.

And, besides, “no talking” was one of the rules. There were other rules as well.

“Once you let go of a piece, that’s the end of your move,” announced an event organizer. “And if you touch one of your pieces, you have to move that piece.”

The tournament was presented by the district in conjunction with the Isaac Fox PTO and the Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes chess playing.

Parent Lisa Warren said she started a Lake Zurich after-school chess club at the now-shuttered Charles Quentin Elementary School.

“Last year, we expanded it for the middle school,” she said.

Warren greeted arrivals at the registration table Saturday while her son, Mitchell, a 13-year-old seventh-grader at Lake Zurich Middle School South, played a warm-up game in the hallway with a friend.

“They just are so thrilled to be able to play and play and to be able to play again,” she said, standing amidst a sea of ongoing chess games.

Mitchell Warren paused between carefully considered moves to comment on his fondness for chess.

“I found out I like chess. I found it was really fun. So, I asked my mom if there were any clubs. There weren’t really any around. So, she decided to start one,” he said.

Mitchell said the tournaments are structured in a way that allows players of similar skill levels to compete, making for more interesting rivalries.

“I like the strategizing,” he said. “I usually try to think four or five moves ahead. Once you start doing it for a while, it gets easier.”

In the gym, where the actual competition was held, Katie Pike, a 10-year-old fourth-grader at Spencer Loomis Elementary School, squared off against her first opponent, a look of intense concentration on her face.

Her father, Paul Pike, is  a chess coach at the after-school clubs. He said he is impressed with how quickly young students can learn.

“They’re good. I’ve been watching them all year long,” he said. “They’re progressing.”

He said his daughter’s team recently took second place in a regional competition.

Saturday’s tournament gave a total of 25 students a chance to put their chess skills to the test.

“This is the best way they can express their skills,” said Lisa Warren. “It’s the strategic thinking, it’s the thinking ahead. Kids really find themselves because they have this avenue.”