The Atkins HS Varsity Chess Team finished a very tight race to clinch the Runner-Up spot in the 2016 N.C. K-12 State Chess Championship held the weekend of February 19-21 in downtown Winston-Salem. The team even hosted a chess team all the way Freeport, Bahamas in a special reception and tournament Friday evening as part of an online, global chess partnership.
In the two-day NC Scholastic tournament, all of the 22 players from Atkins HS competed in the K-12 under-1600 Division II and was by far the largest high school team represented. Atkins had 17 players at the championship last year, and 12 the year before. Finishing in 6th place in the overall individual standings was William Odom, who went 5.5 and 1.5. Chess players get a full point for a win, a half a point for a draw, and zero for a loss. Completely sweeping the under-1100 Class were three Atkins players: Lorenzo Battigelli, Brady Richardson, and Arel D'Agostino. Also contributing to the Atkins team score was Ali MIrzazedah, the team's strongest player with a 1580 rating.
Coach Scott Plaster said, "It was such a tight, exciting race and we should be proud of such a strong finish. I"m extremely proud of all our players. They truly represented Atkins well." In seven rounds of play, a team's score is the cumulative score of a team's top four scoring players. Going into Round 7, Atkins held a two-point lead, but Durham Academy battled back and went 4-0 in the final round. Durham Academy is a private K-12 school and has won the championship for several years in a row.
The team is assisted by Coach Tony Sanders, a private chess coach who offers individual and small group instruction to players of all levels. He has assisted Ali Mirzazadah in achieving his high rating, and offers instructional videos and game analysis to Atkins players. "We are so grateful for Tony's help this year and look forward to his assistance in the future," said Coach Plaster.
Another highlight of the weekend was the team's hosting of a chess team from the Bahamas, who made the trip all the way from Freeport to meet the Atkins team in person and attend a real American chess tournament. Atkins hosted a reception for their global comrades and then the two teams played an exciting three-round mini-tournament. The female player for each team (Asha and Lizzie) won their divisions. The championship division between two teams was too close to call, said Plaster, who directed the tournament. Over the course of the weekend, the two teams had side games, discussions, and friendships grew as the partnership continues. See the picture gallery.
Sharon Glover of the Sister Cities group representing the Bahamas said, "The Atkins students were consummate ambassadors for Atkins and the City of Winston Salem. They made us all very proud with their friendliness and generous hospitality. What an amazing group of people!" Atkins Chess Coach and teacher Scott Plaster was equally impressed with the Bahamas group. "The Bahamas students were intelligent, inquisitive, respectful, and adorable all rolled up into one. I also am very proud of Lizzie and Aasha being champions of their divisions at our Friday night tournament, showing "girl power" will be a major force in the chess world in years to come," said Plaster.
Bahamas chess coach Shawn Sorsby has built his school's team in a matter of months, fueled by a very motivated group of bright, young students. "I'm so amazed at how these students from different countries and cultures, who had never met each other, bonded so quickly over just a couple of days," said Sorsby. "Our students were asking at chess club yesterday how the tournament turned out for the Atkins team. They left really feeling like we were all one big team. I know a lot of that had to do with how welcoming Atkins was and the atmosphere that was set for everyone," he said about the Global partnership.
Dangle Martin, one of the Bahamas players, said, "I am constantly amazed by the infinite number of moves that can be made in the game and the life lessons that can be learned through chess. When I lost the first round I was disappointed; however, it motivated me to do better and as a result I was able to get a draw on my next game and then win my final game by resignation." Mr. Sorsby added, “Confidence is key, not only in chess, but also in life. This is something I set to teach our players as they prepared for the trip. However, most did not learn this valuable lesson until they had the opportunity to experience it for themselves.”
Although there were many moments over the weekend that they will all cherish forever, one of the biggest takeaways for the teams will be the relationships they built. Usually in competition, players rarely speak, especially to an opponent, but this was different. Not only were students giving each other chess tips, but also they were exchanging their cultures as they exchanged contact information. These young people taught us all that we can be competitive, but we can also learn from each other and make one another better in the process. A valuable lesson indeed, for us all.
The global chess partnership began between Atkins HS in Winston-Salem, the Bahamas, and Moldova when the teams agreed to play online games on the online Chess.com website.
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