On Saturday, November 10th, Franklin’s Knights Chess Team successfully hosted its first State Qualifier Chess Tournament at Markell Hall. Over 90 players from 23 schools in Whatcom County and their parents came to Franklin to participate in the event. Kids grades K-8 played five rounds of games under the directorship of Mr. Ethan Neff. That is 220 games that were played and over 225 people packed in and around our school bleachers and gym area.
Franklin’s Knights Chess Team earned 2nd place in a very close competition, only 0.5 point behind the winning team Wade King Elementary! The Knights competitors were Alice L., Christian L., Andre M., Bruno M., Maxwell D., Odin O., Jacob G., Jocelyn H., Fiona H., Andrew B., Annabelle B., Lola J., Tee T., Mateo C., and Keoni O. Way to go, team!
Individually, Bruno M. and Mateo tied for 2nd place in the K-2 grade section, earning 3.5 points out of 5. Christian and Andre also scored 3.5 points in the 3-5 grade section, placing Christian L. in 8th and Andre M. in 9th out of 55 players. Veterans Odin and Maxwell D., and first-time competitors Keoni O. and Andrew B. joined Bruno M., Andre M., and Christian L. in the group who qualified for the Washington State Elementary Championship in April. Christian L. explained after the tournament that he had a great time at the event and what he likes about playing it that, “Chess is truly a game that prepares you for life. In the job market you will have to strategize, be adaptive, and plan ahead. This is a game that teaches you how to problem solve in creative ways.”
All members finished the tournament, which for the youngest grouping of players, Kindergarten through 2nd grade, they displayed at least three hours of sustained focus and multiple matches. Congratulations to all!
We hope to see many of the team members in upcoming tournaments to share the joys and challenges of competing. Franklin has definitely established itself as one of the strongest teams in the county! Our Knights Chess Team will close the chess season on May 4, 2019 by hosting a Bughouse Chess Tournament. Go Knights! Odin O. reflected on the Chess Tournament saying, “Playing chess is somewhat addictive and it takes more then luck to be good at it.” And Andre M. chimes in, “Beyond being fun, it is a a game of skill that takes lots of practice.”
All the coordination and efforts done by the school’s impressive Chess Team, which included the following parents: Cristina Mozsgai, Karen Enriquez, Barbara Overson, Erin Jordan, and Sue Day.
View the rest of the tournament images
See the Knights Chess Tournament Results
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