Students Compete for Nashville Scholastic Chess Championship

Students Compete for Nashville Scholastic Chess Championship  
 

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 13, 2010 – Twenty-four of the mid-state’s most talented young chess players will compete for top honors at the eighth annual Nashville Scholastic Chess Championship to be held Saturday, January 16 beginning at 9 a.m.at the Nashville Chess Center located at 2911 Belmont Boulevard. 

The players qualified for the Nashville Championship by their performances in tournaments during the fall and winter of 2009.  The tournament is open to the media and public. Spectators will be allowed to observe the games. 

The players compete in four age groups: Primary Section:   (Grades 3 and below), Elementary Section: (Grades 6 and below), Junior High Section:  Grades (9 and below), and High School Section:  (Grades 12 and below). The winners in their respective sections will be crowned Nashville City Champions for 2010. 

Many of the qualifiers for this year’s championship come from the Nashville Chess Center’s Chess for Children Program.  Through this program, the Nashville Chess Center teaches chess to secondary and elementary age students in order to promote the benefits of chess that translate into other aspects of life, including: 

• Enhanced problem solving and logical reasoning skills 
• Increased attention span 
• Improved patience and self-esteem 
• Increased standardized test scores in both math and reading 

During the 2009-2010 school year, Nashville Chess Center programs will serve hundreds of students in local schools.  You can learn more about the Nashville Chess Center at its web site found at www.nashvillechess.org.