50 Detroit Chess Hopefuls to Challenge Grandmaster Martha Fierro
Published March 24, 2010
by: Cornelius Fortune
On Friday, March 26, at least 50 students will compete against Martha Fierro, one of the highest ranking female grandmasters of chess. The event will take place at the Detroit Institute of Arts
(DIA) and starts at 6 p.m. This is the second year Fierro has come to Detroit to play what is called a “simul” (short for “simultaneous play”) where a single player faces off against multiple players.
Washington-Parks Academy Chess Team coach and Detroit City Chess Club founder Kevin Fite said that this year could be more difficult for Fierro.
“Last time I think she went through them in about two and a half hours,” Fite said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that short this time. What I don’t think she understands is a lot of the kids that she played before were new. They’re a lot stronger now. It should be interesting.”
Fite has coached many kids from the inner city (metro Detroit area) and helped them to become winners. Most recently Jordan Sweet, a seventh-grader at Washington-Parks Academy, won the Individual State Jr. High Chess Championship at Michigan State University.
Jordan, 12, plans to compete against Fierro. The best preparation for him is to keep playing games against better players. Additionally, Jordan’s GPA rose from 2.6 to 2.9. He attributes this to his involvement with chess.
“Math and chess are linked, that’s how it helps me,” Jordan said. “It’s important for kids my age because in life people make mistakes, and the right choices come from making (good) choices on the chess board. That’s how I make more right decisions than bad because chess helps me to win that also.”
Sidnei Austin, 12, and Taylor Cogshell, 12, were two of a three-girl team (from Washington-Parks Academy) that won 2nd place at the Queens City Chess Classic Championship in Cincinnati.
Here is the full article.
Great story…Best of luck to the kids!