Elementary chess club going for checkmate at states

‘Good for your soul’: Elementary chess club going for checkmate at states
By MEGAN ROZSA

LORAIN — Two third-grade girls stare at each other across the table, one hand on the clock, the other on their next move.“Check,” 8-year-old Bella Ballard said to her competitor Alexis Rodriguez.

Alexis, who insists that she’s 91⁄2 years old, makes her next move and slaps the time clock.

Both girls, and 28 other third- and sixth-grade students joined the Palm Elementary School Chess Club this year. The club began last year and a majority of the students came back for more. They practice every Monday and Thursday at Palm.

Third-grade teacher and chess club adviser and coordinator Bob Brdar is preparing the students for a trip to the Bexley state tournaments in Columbus on April 24. Seven sixth-graders and 10 third-graders will compete against elementary schools from across the state.

“I’d like to be able to pull through at state,” Brdar said. “We’ve been working (toward) this since September. They’ve put in a lot of time and work.”

Bella said she likes playing chess because it’s something that relieves her of her daily stress.

“It’s a game that you can set your mind on and take your headache away.”

Alexis agreed. “It’s very good for your soul,” she said. “It made my soul feel really good when he picked me.”

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