2nd graders show all the right moves

Winners of second grade countywide chess tournament:

Team competition:

1st place team – Summersill Elementary School

2nd place team – Richlands Primary School

3rd place team – Parkwood Elementary School

Individual competition:

1st place – Jordan Road, Richlands Primary School

2nd place – Collin LyBrand, Carolina Forest Elementary

3rd place – Daniel Fisher, Morton Elementary

Onslow County second graders know the difference between a knight and a rook.

As part of a nurturing program, chess is being taught to all second grade students countywide. To culminate the program, the best six chess players from each school competed against other schools during a countywide tournament Wednesday at Carolina Forest Elementary School.

“Each elementary school held individual school tournaments, and the winners of those tournaments are here today,” said Gretchen Farmer, Academic and Intellectually Gifted specialist at Blue Creek and Carolina Forest Elementary Schools.

Each school had five students play as a team and one student play as an individual, Farmer said. They competed in six, 20-minute matches. The top three team and individual winners received awards.

“But everyone gets a medal for participating,” Farmer added.

Drew Applequist, of Summersill Elementary School, started playing chess when he was in kindergarten and loved it, said his mom, Michelle Applequist.

“He learned by playing with a neighbor – they pulled it out and read the directions, and that’s how he started” she said. “He’s played since then, but never at this level. He’s doing fine so far; he won his first match in seven minutes.”

“I love it, it’s my favorite game,” Drew said.

After losing his first match, Tyreek Lipka of Blue Creek Elementary School, said he would play the next match differently.

“I learned I need to make wiser decisions,” he said. “The best part of chess is the capture – it’s fun.”

Fourth and fifth grade students monitored matches along with teachers.

“They are doing a really good job,” Farmer said. “Most of them have been playing since they were in second grade.”

She said chess teaches the children patience.

“It also teaches them you have to look before you move – it teaches them forward thinking,” she said.