By Jeff M. Hardison
More than 120 students from near and far found a profusion of fun Saturday at a chess tournament held at the Sunshine Center near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg.
The St. Petersburg Chess Club conducted its monthly scholastic tournament. Just as when the club hosted previous tournaments, a professional level of efficiency and personal care was demonstrated.
Players from Riviera Middle School, Holy Family Catholic School and St. Petersburg High School were among the local students who expressed their pleasure to be involved with the March 22 tournament. Children from Meadowlawn Middle School and several other St. Petersburg area schools participated too.
For Taylor Katcher, 13, Saturday marked his first SPCC Scholastic Tournament. This eighth grade Riviera Middle School student and his 13-year-old friend Ryke Stearns are the best two players from that middle school’s chess team. Stearns placed 10th in his ranking at last month’s SPCC tournament.
Katcher said he participated in games at Ellis Elementary School in Colorado before he moved to St. Petersburg. His mother, Dawna Katcher, said she thinks the SPCC Scholastic Tournaments are a great idea. Taylor Katcher is in the Riviera Jazz Band too. Stearns, who is also in the middle school band, said he enjoys competing with players at the SPCC tournaments because he finds more of a challenge from strangers than when he plays against Riviera Chess Club players alone. John Powell is the coach for the Riviera team.
Matthew Ho, an 11-year-old sixth grader from Holy Family, said he was excited Saturday to be playing at a higher level. This is his fourth SPCC Scholastic Tournament and he has advanced from the beginner category to the kindergarten through eighth grade classification. The third classification is an open class.
There are more than 30 players on the Holy Family Chess Team. Between four and six of those players show up for SPCC Scholastic Tournaments. SPCC President Andrew Scherman is the coach for that team. Scherman is the coach for the SPHS team too.
Joe Virgin, 17, and Chris Gadson, 16, are two juniors from SPHS who were involved in some chess games for fun prior to the tournament. Robert Foreman and Amanda Grelock are the other two SPHS Chess Team players at the most recent scholastic tournament.
A young player from a distant school stood admiring the trophies before the tournament started Saturday morning. Eight-year-old Cara McCormack gazed at the line of trophies sitting on a shelf in one of the rooms used for the competition. Her father, Bob McCormack, is the assistant coach of the Garrison Jones Elementary School Chess Team.
This Dunedin school has shirts for its chess team players. Eight players from that group were among the many students competing in this tournament. Scott Loucks is the head coach of the chess club from Garrison Jones Elementary School.
"This place has the greatest tournaments of anywhere we play," Assistant Coach McCormack said. "The hosts encourage the kids and the distribution of trophies is excellent. There are 12 places where kids can win trophies in these tournaments."
SPCC President Scherman and Tournament Director Gary Sanders are the main two adults running the tournament. The St. Petersburg Chess Club will hold its last scholastic tournament for the school year on April 19. Entry fee is $15. There are five rounds, with the first starting at 10:15 a.m. and awards presented at about 5 p.m.
The top three winners in the open category were: first Philip A Bauer, second Preston L Willis, and third Eric Heerschap. The top three in the kindergarten through eighth grade category, from first through third place were Daniel Benjamin, Grant Jones and Kevin Wagner. The top three finalists from first through third in the beginner classification were Bryce Brown, Dale Lobo and Tyler Moore.
The SPCC has existed at the same location for more than 75 years. It will be hosting an open house as part of the celebration for the city’s 100th anniversary this year. For more information about the SPCC or about tournaments, visit http://www.hofferle.com/spcc/index.htm or call 822-1171.
Cara McCormack, 8, looks at the many trophies to be won at the St. Petersburg Chess Club Scholastic Tournament.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison
St. Petersburg High School juniors (left) Joe Virgin and Chris Gadson play a chess game for fun before the scholastic tournament March 22 at the Sunshine Center.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison
(left) Ryke Stearns and Taylor Katcher from the Riviera Middle School Chess Team register for the tournament.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison
Players in the beginner category of competition prepare before the St. Petersburg Chess Club tournament March 22.
Photo by Jeff M. Hardison
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