St. Scholastica Chess Club Members Place in Tournament

Two St. Scholastica students received individual trophies at the Greater Chicago Chess Tournament Feb. 4. 

Michael Okrzesik, a third-grade student, won third place in the novice K-3 Championship. Dane Baticados, a fourth-grade student, won second place in the unrated K-8 Championship.

Students from 16 area schools were represented during this day-long tournament and was sponsored by the Renaissance Knights & the Illinois Chess Association.

St. Scholastica School offers a chess club for students in second to eighth grades, which is in its second year. The club is headed by Richard Petraitis and has been very successful, with strong student participation. The students learn the basics of chess and learn to play in a competitive environment.

This was the first tournament in which members of the Chess Club played under rigorous time constraints and utilized the digital chess clocks. This five-round event was intense, with students facing tough competitors throughout the day.

Both students received individual trophies, and their achievements were honored at school the following Monday, and their trophies were put on display at school to recognize their individual and team efforts.

Editor's note: The following information was provided by Marianne Hynd.