April 25, 2009 in City
Young masters of the board
Jody Lawrence-Turner
Tags: chess Washington Elementary Chess Championships
With a Kool-Aid mustache and an “I love chess” T-shirt, 5-year-old Garrett Casey propped himself on his knees in a chair to play his last round of the Washington Elementary Chess Championships.
The North Spokane boy hadn’t lost a game in four rounds Saturday. But this was his first time facing 5-year-old Naomi Bashkansky.
Garrett and Naomi were among over 1,000 kids – kindergarten through sixth grade – who were at the Spokane Convention Center to play in the biggest chess tournament ever held in Spokane. Garrett was one of only a few pre-school children who participated.
To explain why kids so young can do so well at a game so many adults find so difficult, Dr. Kathleen Webb said kids don’t over-think the game. Instead they rely on “spatial” reasoning and “pattern recognition,” said Webb, a pediatrician and tournament volunteer.
Whatever’s going on in their brains, they clearly love chess.
Between games, tournament participants played wall ball, screeched as they jumped in a bouncy house and chased each other around.
Occasionally, a group would stop where a non-tournament game of chess was being played and offer advice, but it fell on deaf ears.
When the rounds started, the entire second floor of the Convention Center quieted to a dull murmur.
“It’s a good way to teach children focus,” Webb said.
Garrett has been playing the game since he was 4. His dad taught him, but now would be lucky to win. Garrett’s brother Braxton, 7, also plays.
Garrett, who assembled jumbo Legos between chess games, would not reveal any secrets to his game – only that he practices.
Here is the full story.
Was it USCF rated?
This event was NWSRS rated, not USCF rated. The NWSRS (Northwest Scholastic Rating System) uses the same Elo rating formula as the USCF, but, as an independent system, does not require USCF membership of its thousands of young chess players. I believe our independent system encourages and stimulates youth participation. Few states have a scholastic championship as large as Washington’s.
Many youth players that enter the world of chess competition through our vibrant scholastic community do become USCF members. Many participate in adult tournaments. Those players that scored 4.0 or more of five possible in yesterday’s event will have their entry fee paid to the Washington Open if they enter, and that event is USCF rated.
James Stripes
2009 WSECC Tournament Organizer