Chess tournament takes over Union

Elementary students descend on MSU for annual Michigan Chess Association team championships

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Philip Litchfield doesn’t let pregame jitters get in the way of his game.

Litchfield, a chess team member of the Memphis Elementary Yellow Jackets in Memphis, already competed in two chess competitions before the Michigan Chess Association 2008 Elementary/Primary Team Championships on Saturday at the Union.

“I’m a little bit nervous,” the fifth-grader said after the second of his five chess matches. “But I like competing.”

Yellow Jackets team coordinator Chris Pare had five teams competing in the tournament.

“These are good kids here,” Pare said. “They’re all doing really well.”

The event is sponsored by the MSU Department of Mathematics.

Milan Miklavcic, an associate mathematics professor, was inspired to help out after his own children competed in chess tournaments as kindergartners.

“I was asked if I could help make it happen here,” Miklavcic said.

“It’s a very nice opportunity for MSU to get acquainted with a wide variety of kids and it’s very nice to have a chess tournament here, so I think it’s win-win for everyone.”

The 25th annual championship included 148 different chess teams competing. The competition filled all three floors of the Union with players, team coordinators and parents, each anxious for the next round.

More than 600 Michigan students played on the different teams.

“This is amazing,” said Jennifer Skidmore, Michigan Chess Association scholastic coordinator and vice president. “It’s larger than the event has ever been.”

The teams were split by age, skill and experience. Matches included three to five players and any team that scored at least 3.5 match points during their rounds was sent home with trophies.

Cindy Curtis, a coordinator for one of the Chippewa Valley elementary school teams in Clinton Township, has children who have been competing in chess champions for several years.

“We’ve been doing this for four years as a team,” Curtis said. “Each year we’ve grown and grown. It’s a wonderful thing.”

The chess championship has been held at the Union for four years and is expected return next year on the first weekend of February, Skidmore said.

The tournament’s turnout is expected to outgrow the Union, she said.

“But I’d like to do another event here, because it’s such a nice location and the people here are really great,” Skidmore said.

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