Chess is growing every year

Missourian News
April 22, 2007
Concentrating on Checkmate
Elementary and middle school students compete in Columbia Open Chess Tournament
By ZACH HONIG

Eleven-year-old Vikram Arun has traveled as far as Orlando to participate in national chess competitions, but the Gentry Middle School sixth-grader spent Saturday participating in his hometown of Columbia.

Sixty-eight students from kindergarten through seventh grade competed in Saturday’s annual Columbia Open Chess Tournament hosted by Mill Creek Elementary School.

Vikram took home the trophy for first place overall in the middle school category, placing first in his category for the third consecutive year.

Though he tied for 20th place in the sixth-grade category at the U.S. Chess Federation National Scholastic K-12 Championship in Orlando in December, Vikram said he enjoys playing in local competitions as well.

“It was very exciting,” he said. “The players were pretty good.”

Charlie Ward, who has served as director of the tournament since 2001, first learned to play chess as an American high school student in Paris in the 1950s.

“I enjoy doing it because it’s really good for the kids,” Ward said. “They learn critical thinking. They really focus on something and see it through to the end.”

Ward said this year’s tournament was different for several reasons. He noticed an increase in female students, and this was also the first year middle school students have been invited to participate.

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