State Chess Tournament

Friday night and Saturday were spent traveling and participating in the state chess tournament with the three big kids.  We left the little ones with Grandma and Grandpa, knowing they would have a better time with them than with us and that made the entire experience much easier. 
 

State chess is for grades K-12 and is held at different schools in different towns each year.  There were TONS of kids participating.  Sam competed with 105 K-3rd graders, taking 43rd place, winning three of his six rounds (his best tournament so far!).  Rebecca and Emily both did well, each winning 2 of their 6 games, but ended up near the bottom of their grouping.  They were disappointed they didn't do well enough to metal.  But each of our kids did much better in this tournament than previous tournaments and that is something we are very proud of them for.  They were confident and didn't get rattled at all by the number of other kids participating.  Before Becca and Emily's first round started, a kid came out and threw up in the trash can outside the playing room, his stomach in knots with nerves.   

This was our first year attending the state tournament and I think in the end we decided that as long as the kids enjoyed it, it was worth the investment of time and money*.  We are continuing to look for ways to help the children better understand how to play chess, specifically helping them understand and identify classic patterns and how they play out.  I'm learning this is critical to doing well consistently, and something that truly comes with practice.  Nevertheless, I'm on the look out for a good chess book or two for kids (either geared toward them, or for adults to help teach children the game) to purchase with my supply of Borders gift cards before they are worthless ... if you have any recommendations, send them my way.  One I've looked though and like, although it's a bit advanced for my kids at their current stage, is "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess." 

  

* For the sake of family history ... typical tournaments cost $7/child as an entrance fee. State did not have an entrance fee.  Then there is food.  Much to the childrens annoyance, we do not purchase items from the concession stand.  It just isn't practical financially.  We typically pack snacks, water, and purchase lunch off site ... 2 $5 pizzas or at state, we purchased Subway sandwiches, which doubled as our dinner.  Since this tournament was 3.5 hours away, we stayed in a hotel Friday night to the tune of ~$100.  And then there is the gas money ... ~$3.20/gallon.  As for the time commitment ... you arrive at the tournament at 8:30am and you're there until 4:30 or a bit later.  Add to that travel time if it isn't local (and we are very blessed to have most of our tournaments close by) ... and that's a serious amount of time spent in a school commons.