Ridgecrest wins state chess championship for grades 4 to 6

Ridgecrest Elementary chess champs
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

Ridgecrest Elementary School's 4th to 6th grade team won first place in the 2012 Washington State Elementary Chess Championships in Pasco on April 21. 

Congratulations to the entire Ridgecrest Chess Club and for its tournament participants: Kyle Haining (6th grade); Jothi Ramesh, Emma Silber, and Gabe Vogel (5th grade); Karen Haining, Ethan Huang, Xavier Ljubicich, and Jackson Peters-Mosere (4th grade).

Kyle Haining was the state champion for 6th grade and Jothi Ramesh won 3rd place in 5th grade.

The school's chess club coordinator is Nelly Szilagyi.

Overall, 769 students participated in the state championships this year. To play in the championships a student must qualify by winning at least 3 out of 5 points in a qualifying tournament. In the championships students play against others in their own grade, not from their own school. Team awards are based on the sum of the top four individual scores in a school's team.

In the State Bughouse Championships played the night before, Kyle and Jothi won first place again this year. Emma and Karen won third place. Bughouse is a chess variant played with partners. Pieces captured from an opponent are given to your partner, who may then play the captured piece on his or her board.

Team and individual results are posted online at the Chess Champions page, as well as the Chess Tournament Ratings page.