Nothing square about chess enthusiasts

Published 3:00 pm Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Legions of students pursue the game as a personal challenge.

Chess looks like a still, cerebral game, but Pete Biencourt describes each move and countermove like a sequence from a martial arts movie.

“Every block is like the start of the next attack,” said Biencourt, an eighth-grader at Woodward Middle School, whose favorite piece is the lowly pawn.

“I’m good with power and speed, trading everything down to pawns, then I can push and promote a pawn to a queen,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know how to play with them.”

The Woodward Middle School chess team’s moves were effective last Saturday. Showing you can have fun and win, the team took first place in the grade 5-8 division at the Seattle Chess Fest 2005 tournament at Ingraham High School.

Seventh-grader Jimmy Mooney, who took first place for his grade, describes the team as quiet but competitive.

“We like to win,” he said, “but are really loose.”

Louise Mooney, Jimmy’s mother, is pleased with the cameraderie and supportiveness chess fosters.

Although parents accompany the students to all-day tournaments that start with the 7:05 a.m. ferry and end with dinner in Seattle’s International District, “when one loses in a tournament, it’s not the parent they turn to,” she said. “They circle around each other, go out and help them shake it off and come back to play.”

The Woodward team has only been competing in Seattle for two years, but took first this year with 15.5 out of 20 possible points, edging second place West Mercer Elementary.

Clubs are thriving at the elementary school level as well, with weekly groups meeting at Ordway, Wilkes and other schools.

A recent afternoon in the Ordway gym, Frank Oslick asks his grade school players to think about the advantage one has with one more piece than his opponent – as in hockey, when one side loses a guy to the penalty box.

Is the advantage greater or lesser when there are fewer players on the team?

Eager hands are raised and answers called out.

“Kids learn fast, though (their) attention span is short,” Oslick said. “Kids want to be here and are motivated because they want to win.”

At Charlie Nguyen’s Wednesday club at Wilkes School, sessions begin with 10 minutes of free play, followed by a lesson and then tournament play.

“I want (chess) to be fun first and hope to use it as a tool in their academic career,” he said “and (to teach students) it’s OK to lose. Chess is unforgiving, but it’s OK to lose.”

Xander Fehsenfeld, a fifth-grader at Island School who placed seventh in the fifth-grade division and second place last year for fourth-graders, says losing is not as painful as when he was younger.

“I’ve accomplished something, and I’ve tried,” he said.

Kids shake hands with their opponents after every game, because win or lose, “there’s always another one.”

Quinn Riley, who placed first among eighth graders, estimates about two-thirds of kids drop out of chess club in middle school because it’s seen as “nerdy” or “uncool.” For him, that’s not a concern.

“Chess has given me confidence. I may not be the best, but I can do good at what I’m good at,” Riley said. “I’m good at the beginning and middle (of the game); I know I’m bad at the endgame, and that helps me, so if I do lose, I won’t feel as bad.”

His mother Stacey Riley sees the kids involved in a positive activity of their own choosing.

“A lot of this is self motivated. Most kids in this group aren’t followers, (and) they’re not interested because it’s cool or they’re trying to make a statement,” she said. “These kids are really being true to themselves.

“That’s all I want as a parent.”

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Days and knights

For information about Charlie Nguyen’s five chess clubs on the island at various schools, call 663-2110. Cost is $15 per child per week per club.

For information about Frank Oslick’s chess clubs at Ordway Elementary contact the Ordway PTO. Cost is $35 per child per school semester.

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The right moves

Seven members of the Woodward Middle School team competed last weekend at the Chess Fest 2005 tournament for grades K-8 in Seattle hosted by Chess Mates. About 340 students competed.

First place, grades 5-8: Woodward Middle School

Eighth place overall, grades 5-8: Pete Biencourt; first place, grade 8: Quinn Riley; first place, grade 7: Jimmy Mooney; second place, grade 7: Lex Burgin; seventh place, grade 5: Xander Fehsenfeld; Shannon Oslick and Griffin Burt each won three of five of their games.

Results from the Bainbridge Island Chess Tournament on March 20:

Section 1: 1. Jimmy Mooney; 2. Lex Burgin; 3. Peter Biencourt; 4. Christoph Richards; 5. Xander Fehsenfeld; 6. Gareth Grindeland; 7. Curtis Ellis; 8. Neema Rostami; 9. Eryn Cohen; 10. Ian Mitchell   

Section 2: 1. Griffin Burt; 2. Jacob Bricklin; 3. Alex Bertles; 4. Graham Mitchell; 5. Zach Klopp; 6. George Ballard; 7. Harley Christianson; 8. Shannon Oslick; 9. Brad Russell; 10. Thomas Gex  

Section 3: 1. Greg Shea; 2. Harry Oconnell; 3. Cedar Banks; 4. Charles Thorson; 5. Matthias Harmon; 6. Simon Ainsworth; 7. Ian Gourley; 8. Markus Woltjer; 9. Deveraux Kesler; 10. Tia Ladyman

Section 4: 1. Sebastian Scales; 2. Sam Maracich; 3. Dew Torres; 4. Jack Coupe; 5. Katie Bertles; 6. Nicholas Richards; 7. Hudson Gilmore; 8. Natalie Allen; 9. Noah Levine; 10. Aidan Stearns