Cincinnati Life Skills Students Compete in Regional Chess Tourney
Life Skills Students Compete in Regional Chess Tourney
The game of chess is often made to be more than just a game, and on a rainy weekend in early March, it turned out to be that and more for several students at the Life Skills Center in Cincinnati. Derrick Riggs and Cameron Bufkin (pictured) represented Life Skills in the 9th annual Queen City Classic Chess Tournament at Paul Brown Stadium. Both students finished in the top ten in their divisions, earning them the school's very first trophies.
The event opened on Friday night, with words from Cincinnati Bengals legends Chris Colinsworth and Anthony Munoz. Then students were given the opportunity to play in a "simul" event, where international grandmasters play 40 games simultaneously. Grandmasters included Maurice Ashley, the first and only African-American International Grandmaster, and Gregory Kaidanov, a one-time #1 rated player in the United States.
Saturday morning, over 650 players, from kindergarten to college, competed in ten different divisions. Families and coaches camped out in the Bengals' Club lounge area while students competed until late in the day. Students enjoyed free lessons from the masters, and had the opportunity to mix with students and coaches from all around Ohio.
Chess has steadily grown in popularity at LSCC. Students often wind down at the end of their sessions with games, and new students regularly request to be taught how to play. School wide tournaments have drawn crowds, as students compete for prizes and bragging rights. Interest has spiked around this event, and students are currently in the early stages of forming an official chess team, eyeing future tournaments around the state.
Mike Wells
English Teacher
Life Skills Center Cincinnati
- Posted: 04-15-2010