Happy Dragons from K-3 Open & K-6 Under 800, and Randall Gough, 2005 PA Elementary Champion!
The Pittsburgh Youth Chess Dragons triumph at the PA State Chess Championship in Carlisle! We have won 1st place Club Team trophy in the K-3 Open for 5 years in a row! We also took 1st place Club team in the K-6 Open, K-6 Under 800, and K-9 Under 1000. We were tied for 1st in the K-12 Under 1300, but finished 2nd in that section on tiebreaks. The Pittsburgh Youth Chess Dragons are teams put together by Jerry Meyers, composed of students from his various classes.
2005 K-6 Open Club Champions!
The 2005 Pittsburgh Scholastic Championship took place on 2/12/05 at Brashear High School. The new City Champion in Grades 6-12 is Luka Glinsky of Erie, PA, who has been improving rapidly this year. In the top Grades K-5 division, Randall Gough of Fox Chapel took the crown with a smooth 4-0 performance. Congratulations to them and all the other winners. Full results can be found here: 2005 Pittsburgh Scholastic Championship Results.
The 11th Annual Fox Chapel Chess Championship was played on 1/29/05. This tournament was only open to schools in the Fox Chapel area. 61 players participated. The top team was Fairview Elementary. Congratulations to them and all the individual winners. For the full results, click here: 11th Annual Fox Chapel Championship Results.
Here is a picture of the winning Fairview team:
The 6th Annual Catholic Schools Chess Championship at St. Raphael was held 1/8/05, our first event of the New Year. The host school, St Raphael, took advantage of the home turf and won 1st place in the team competition. Bart McAllister of Central Catholic coasted to 1st place in the Grades 3-12 Advanced, Corey Mitchell of Holy Child was tops in the Grade 3-12 Beginner, and Trevor Vozza won the K-2 section. For full results, click here: Catholic School Championship results.
The Tri-State Junior Open was held 12/18/04 at CMU, our usual gracious host. 234 players from PA, Ohio, and West Virginia participated, helping to make this unique event live up to its name. Top team was Marion-Franklin High School from Columbus, Ohio. 1st place winners in each section were: Championship- Kris Meekins, Premier- Hunter Sully, 950-1049- Kevin Mo, 850-949- LiAnn Sun, 750-849- Tom Le, 650-749- David Clemens-Sewall, Grades 5-12 Beginner- Benny Gentzel, Grades 3-4 Beginner- Joshua Knupp, and Grades K-2 Beginner- Nathaniel Hull. Congratulations to all. The full list of participants and results can be found here: Tri-State Junior Open results.
The Summer 2004 Scholastic Chess Challenge found a new home this year at St. Anthony's Center of Holy Child School. Top honors in the Championship division went to Kevin Berthoud, who has won many events in the past. Top team was Holy Child school, competing on their home turf. To view all the results, go here: Summer 2004 Scholastic Chess Challenge results
The 2004 Kings & Queens Chess Challenge was our first event ever at Osborne Elementary. Though the turnout was only 122, it was a good start for a new event and a good time was had by all. Winner of the Championship division was 12th grader Mike Opaska, who will be heading to college in the Fall. In the team competition, Sewickley Academy Lower School, Dorseyville Middle, and Shady Side Junior Academy all finished with 11 points. Sewickley took 1st place on tiebreaks. For all the results, go here: 2004 Kings & Queens Chess Challenge results
Over the past 5 years, we have been able to bring a number of special guests to Pittsburgh. The most recent was Gregory Kaidanov,
who was the highest rated player in the US when he visited. To see more photos of Grandmaster Kaidanov and our other special
guest, click here: Annual Guest Speaker Program
Grandmaster Kaidanov's blindfold game against Gabriel Petesch was a highlight of his visit
The 2003 Tri-State Junior Open, with 379 participants, was the largest local tournament ever held in Western PA!! Here's how the main playing room looked at the start of the 1st round:
1) History
Chess is a classic game of strategy, invented more than 1500 years ago in India. Legend has it that the ruler of India asked
his wise men to devise a way to teach the children of the royal family to become better thinkers and better generals on the
battlefield. Chess was the result. In the centuries since its invention, chess has spread to every country in the world. While
countless other games have died out, chess lives on. In the United States, it has received endorsements by many educators,
ranging from Benjamin Franklin to former U.S. Secretary of Education, Terrell Bell. In Western Pennsylvania, more than 70
schools and a dozen libraries offer chess programs, reaching several thousand students each year.
2) Academic Benefits
We have brought chess to the schools because we believe it directly contributes to academic performance. Chess makes
kids smarter. It does so by teaching the following skills:
Focusing - Children are taught the benefits of observing carefully and concentrating. If they don’t watch what is
happening, they can’t respond to it, no matter how smart they are.
Visualizing - Children are prompted to imagine a sequence of actions before it happens. We actually strengthen the
ability to visualize by training them to shift the pieces in their mind, first one, then several moves ahead.
Thinking Ahead - Children are taught to think first, then act. We teach them to ask themselves “If I do this, what
might happen then, and how can I respond?” Over time, chess helps develop patience and thoughtfulness.
Weighing Options - Children are taught that they don’t have to do the first thing that pops into their mind. They
learn to identify alternatives and consider the pros and cons of various actions.
Analyzing Concretely - Children learn to evaluate the results of specific actions and sequences. Does this
sequence help me or hurt me? Decisions are better when guided by logic, rather than impulse.
Thinking Abstractly - Children are taught to step back periodically from details and consider the bigger picture.
They also learn to take patterns used in one context and apply them to different, but related situations.
Planning - Children are taught to develop longer range goals and take steps toward bringing them about. They
are also taught of the need to reevaluate their plans as new developments change the situation.
Juggling Multiple Considerations Simultaneously - Children are encouraged not to become overly absorbed
in any one consideration, but to try to weigh various factors all at once.
None of these skills are specific to chess, but they are all part of the game. The beauty of chess as a teaching tool is that it stimulates children’s minds and helps them to build these skills while enjoying themselves. As a result, children become more critical thinkers, better problem solvers, and more independent decision makers.
3) Educational Research
These conclusions have been backed up by educational research. Studies have been done in various locations around
the United States and Canada, showing that chess results in increased scores on standardized tests for both reading and
math. A study on a large scale chess program in New York City, which involved more than 100 schools and 3,000 children,
showed higher classroom grades in both English and Math for children involved in chess. Studies in Houston, Texas and
Bradford, Pennsylvania showed chess leads to higher scores on the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the
Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.
4) Social Benefits
In the schools, chess often serves as a bridge, bringing together children of different ages, races and genders in an activity
they can all enjoy. Chess helps build individual friendships and also school spirit when children compete together as teams
against other schools. Chess also teaches children about sportsmanship - how to win graciously and not give up when
encountering defeat. For children with adjustment issues, there are many examples where chess has led to increased
motivation, improved behavior, better self-image, and even improved attendance. Chess provides a positive social outlet,
a wholesome recreational activity that can be easily learned and enjoyed at any age.
