Gilbert High chess team finishes 9th in national tourney
by Emily Gersema – May. 1, 2009 07:55 AM
The Gilbert Republic
What: The Gilbert High School chess team has become a major competitor on the national level. Earlier this month, the team went to the National High School Chess Championship in Nashville. Students from more than 100 teams showed up.
Update: The GHS team finished ninth overall, and then placed fourth in Blitz, a tournament in which individuals play short 10-minute games to accrue points.
Some team members finished with honors or in the top 10 in other categories. Nikola Matthews placed eighth in the under 1,200 category for students in K-12. Nick Thompson placed 35th out of 367 players in the individual K-12 championship category.
How’d they get so good? The students meet for coaching with Chess Master Michael Reading and GHS economics teacher John Thiele twice a week. They regularly play in area tournaments as well as national competitions. They all play and practice on Internet chess sites outside of their team practices.
You’ll also find some of the team members playing Blitz or Bughouse chess (a fast-paced game in which pairs face off on two boards) each Friday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.at Mathnasium, 538 S. Gilbert Road north of Warner Road. It is $5 for one tournament or $8 for two.
Learn more: Arizona Chess Central, a nonprofit group, runs the Friday contests. All ages are welcome. Call Lynn Schucker for more info: 480-216-8025 or visit www.azchesscentral.org.
Source: http://www.azcentral.com
This is an excellent chess program.