Freshmen Luke Abraham and Chris Jones were EC chess club’s first entrants into an official chess competition. At a small weekend tournament hosted at The Roeper School in Bloomfield Hills, Luke and Chris were awarded 4th and 5th place in their division, respectively. They faced some tough opponents and were exposed to the “chess world” where competitors record every move using chess notation and then replay their games in post-match analysis sessions. The boys were intrigued as they watched their break room tablemates taking on chess in a manner akin to a sport, complete with move-by-move coaching and strategic examination of strengths and weaknesses of their games. One of the students dubbed the replay review sessions “chess film,” and both competitors walked away from the weekend with a greater appreciation for the intricacies and the intensity of the game. Chess club moderator Miss Mellis looks forward to future opportunities for EC students to learn, to compete, and to enjoy the game at local scholastic chess tournaments.
