On May 17, each Westerville middle school sent their building Chess Club representative to participate in the Middle School Chess Tournament held at the Early Learning Center. Family members, friends, and Westerville City Schools staff eagerly watched the round-robin matches.
Placing first in the district was 8th grader Erik Hynes of Walnut Springs. Second place was earned by Ben Clark (grade 7) of Genoa. Jacob Ginn (grade 7) of Blendon and Brian Courts (grade 6) of Heritage took third and fourth, respectively.
Chess Master Mike Frithiof, a state and national chess champion, served as judge, shared chess tips, and capped off the day with the four students working together as a team in an attempt to out-wit the blindfolded Mr. Frithiof in the day’s final match. Frithiof won and shared his strategies post-match.
Chess Club advisors and parent volunteers give special thanks to Frithiof, staff and administrators as the building and district levels, and the Gifted Education Department.
Beyond being a game for any age or language, research states chess is excellent for improving memory, logical thinking skills, and creativity. Chess college scholarships are available and a list of Ohio chess camps and clubs can be found at Ohio Chess Association at http://www.ohiochess.org.