New schools chess tournament planned
By Stephanie Banchero
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 19, 2007, 3:28 PM CDT
Chicago Public Schools officials announced Monday that they will stage a second elementary school chess championship after the first one, held earlier this month, ended when a hundred coaches and pupils stormed out.
“I think it’s important that students have a positive experience, and this new tournament is an opportunity for me to try and repair some of the damage that might have been done,” said Calvin Davis, director of sports programs for the district, the department that oversees the chess program.
The new citywide championship is scheduled for April 14.
The first championship, held March 10, was disrupted when coaches and players from at least five schools walked out of the event, complaining it was chaotic and poorly organized.
Those who attended the event say about 200 pupils arrived, but the district was not prepared for that many competitors. They complain that there were not enough chessboards for players and too few judges to officiate games.
Most importantly, they say, tournament organizers failed to post official pairings. So players did not know whom they were competing against or where to sit.
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Good for them!