Norwin Chess Club’s fall tournament has finally arrived! On Nov. 17, the chess club tournament was held at Penn Trafford High School, featuring three school’s: Norwin, Gateway, and Penn Trafford. Each school was split into an A-Team and a B-Team.
The Team A trophy went to Gateway and Team B trophy was won by Penn Trafford. Norwin’s Team A secured an impressive 2nd place, with noteworthy performances from Sean Stukus and Angelo Buffalini. Team B fell just short of defending their title earned last Spring with Christopher (CJ) Elliott (10) taking 1st place in that division with 3 wins and 1 draw. Noah Mulac (12) and Henry Peters (11) also had impressive performances.
“The tournament at Penn Trafford was not what I expected it to be,” said junior Norwin B-Team member Grace Fleckenstein. “It was much more formal than I anticipated at the start. Before the tournament, I was told that everyone there dresses up in suits and formal wear. However, when I got there it was more formal than I expected.”
Students were set up in Penn Trafford’s cafeteria to be paired up in matches against the other schools.
“We played each game in a large room with many different tables and when our games were done we wrote who won on a piece of paper and went to another room to rethink our strategy and eat food that was provided by everyone,” said Fleckenstein.
“If you touch a piece… you HAVE to move it, no take backs,” said Salany, Chess Club advisor. “In this seriousness, it is cool to see our players heavily contemplating the board in front of them and the position they and their opponents currently have as well as where the next few moves may lead.”
The tournament gave students an opportunity to showcase their skills that they hone at bi-weekly meetings on Mondays and Fridays in the Library Conference room. All students who love chess are welcome to join and see what it’s all about.
Norwin Chess Club, Knights Chess, is relatively new. Chess Club officially started last year with Samuel Stinelli creating the club. Knights Chess is a club with the mission of promoting the game of chess for Norwin students. The club aims to create opportunities that build camaraderie through healthy competition and critical thinking.
Chess Club teaches students how to collaborate and share knowledge with peers in a positive and educational way. The collaborative aspect of the Chess Club really helps to boost student confidence as much as it is to develop chess skills.
“Our club heavily relies on the students with higher skill levels to help those with lower skill levels,” said Salany. “Because of this, students are able to share tips and tricks on what to look out for or how to block certain attack maneuvers when playing an opponent in a tournament setting.”
