Students at Berkeley Chess Club excel in state competitions
By Martin Snapp
Correspondent
Posted: 01/13/2011 10:18:22 AM PST
Updated: 01/13/2011 02:20:19 PM PST
Things looked bleak for Josiah Stearman of Martinez as he competed in the Grade-Level State Chess Championship at the University of the Pacific in Stockton on Dec. 4 and 5. After only three moves, he was already two pawns down.
But Josiah’s opponent didn’t realize that he was using a cleverly disguised version of the Danish Gambit. He was trading pieces for position.
On move number five Josiah pounced, taking a pawn. Then he took a bishop, and on the move after that he put his opponent’s king in check.
Ten moves later it was all over. Josiah had won in a rout.
Now get this: Josiah is only 7 years old. He went on to defeat four more opponents, winning the Second Grade State Championship.
Josiah was competing for the Berkeley Chess School, and he wasn’t the only BCS student to walk away with first prize. Ben Rood of Walnut Creek won at the 1st grade level, Joel Alcaraz of Vallejo won the sixth grade, Tudor Muntean of Danville won the eighth grade, Gabriel Lee of San Ramon won the 10th grade, and Rusian Bulguchov of Alamo won the 12th grade.
Beside the first-place winners, many BCS students placed in the statewide top 10 for their grade.
The Berkeley Chess School serves students at 150 schools throughout the Bay Area. Of the 41 schools whose teams were made up of BCS students, eight teams placed in the top 10 at the state championship.
Ho hum. Just another day for the Berkeley Chess School, which has routinely dominated the state competition every year since it was founded 29 years ago.
So what’s their secret?
“They make it fun,” says Josiah’s mother, Sarah Stearman. “So many kids are weighted down with so much pressure, but not at the Berkeley Chess School.”
Full article here.
Chess is fun 🙂