LEUSD Chess Tournament Draws Nearly 100 Players

Friday evening it was impossible to hear a pin drop at

The Lake Elsinore Unified School District's fifth annual Chess Tournament was underway in William Collier's multi-purpose room, but the competition was loud and chaotic as nearly 100 second- through 12th-graders competed to become the next Bobby Fischer.

"Chess is a brutal game," explained event organizer and Earl Warren teacher Jim Gibbs.

By 6:30 p.m., the older students had finished their matches, so it was elementary- and middle-schoolers on tap and there was no shortage of chatter.

"The older kids were serious," Gibbs said with a smile. "It's a little different with the younger ones."

To expedite the matches, the players were under a five-minute time limit. The goal of the shortened matches was to take as many pieces as possible, each piece being worth points. Nine points for the queen, five for a rook, three for knights and bishops, one for a pond. Skilled players who could manage a checkmate in five minutes or less earned 10 points.

Official scorekeepers and rulemakers were seated on the sidelines, and volunteer parents and grandparents corralled kids during the simultaneous matches. 

The event lasted several hours, and ribbons and chess games were handed out to the many winners.