Grade 4-5 Chess Team

The Trinity fourth and fifth grade chess team went intro the Regionals confident they'd take first place.

 

There was a quirky rule that made the Charger sixth graders have to play everyone else's seventh and eighth graders. That meant the Trinity fourth and fifth graders would play everyone else's sixth graders. Still, the Charger fourth and fifth graders were the main part of the Trinity team that went undefeated this year in the Midland Scholastic Chess League so they went into this year's Regionals with a large team and undefeated year behind them.

 

Last year the Regionals were in San Angelo and Trinity's Pearson Doyle was the only undefeated player to take first place. Making it a Trinity sweep last year Gus Padgett finished in second place. so the Chargers went into this year's 170 player tournament a confident bunch.

 

"I was nervous, but once five moves were played I got over it," said Ollie Mathewson. "I was thinking undefeated right from the beginning." With one round to go Ollie was in fact undefeated and facing the only other undefeated player for the Regional championship. "It was a normal king pawn opening," Ollie said setting up a titanic struggle that was unclear right until the last move. "He sacrificed a pawn to gain the center. It was my hardest game but in the end that one pawn killed him." The rest of the game was just mental hard work with Ollie gradually equalizing the position so that he was a clear pawn ahead, but converting that pawn to a win was extremely difficult as his opponent skillfully defended for a draw. With many onlookers, the endgame swung between a win for Ollie, then a draw, then a win for Ollie, then a draw, and finally Ollie broke through and promoted his pawn causing a resignation and a clear first place win for Ollie giving him the Regional championship as the only undefeated player.

 

Meanwhile Gus Padgett who finished with no losses and a draw last year was having another good Regionals this year. "I wasn't nervous at all," said Gus. I didn't try anything fancy. I played the Italian game but most of my opponents knew how to play it." Gus said his best move was a round three discovered attack when he sacced a bishop but netted a queen."  In the end again Gus didn't lose a single game, but just like last year he had one draw. "The draw was a rook ending. I missed a mate. Oops."  The no loss, one draw finish netted Gus a second place finish for the second Regional in a row. His record against the best players of West Texas is now nine wins, no losses and two draws. Gus also finished the Scholastic Chess League with the most wins. So what has this all taught him?  "When I see a good move, I need to look deeper because I can always find a better move." 

 

With the first and second place finishers, a first place team trophy was assured, but many other players had at least three wins too. 

 

Joaquin Gil finished with four wins and one loss. "I had some easy wins," Joaquin said. "I went on the attack right away and got ahead early." He said he played the Four Knights Opening but one opponent hit him with a surprise opening. "I had to come up with a different plan," he said.

 

Ewan MacDonald finished with three wins and a draw. "I played the London system, but I didn't have many opportunities," he said, lamenting that "I played too fast."

 

Evan Walker also finished with three wins and a draw. "Someone played the Caro-Kann against me," he said. Before he could set up his opening I attacked and won his queen," About his draw, Evan said," I was lucky to stalemate."

 

Two fourth graders who started this year as absolute beginners but ended the season as strong players on the Trinity team were Christianne Meyer and Charles Dorman. They each finished with three wins and a draw. "I was confident," said Christianne. "My opponents were all new people to me, but they all played stuff I was used to. I lost the first game even though I was even the whole game. I just missed a checkmate. The second game I stalemated. I was so mad at myself." The next three games were all wins for Christianne. "They were all easy," she said. "A Caro-Kann, an English, and a Sicilian." She said when she looks at each position, "I look at the board like a puzzle."

 

Charles also finished with three wins and a draw. "My first game was easy. I took all his pieces," Charles said.  "Most of the stuff I had seen before," so no surprises, but a lesson in competitiveness may be needed when discussing his draw. "I took her queen. She offered a draw and I accepted because I felt bad for her." 

 

Other Trinity players who had three points were Pearson Doyle, Tonny Patrick, Rowan Baker and Kelly Xie. It was a strong team effort.

 

These games were longer than any games the Chargers have played before and quite a few of the players complained that the time limit was too long. That view was best summed by Micah Griffin who finished with two wins and a draw. "I could have been trying to beat Legend of Zelda Breath Of The Wild," Micah said.