POTTSVILLE — In the modern age of electronics filled with battery-powered entertainment of all types, the game of chess is still popular in the world and at Nativity BVM High School.
Wherever its origins, the game was not created whole-cloth as it is played today, with the modern-day version going back to medieval times. The popularity of the game continues, and the school plans its third annual chess tournament for county schools.
Nativity is hosting the 2019 Schuylkill County Scholastic Chess Tournament on March 30. The tournament is open to all students, regardless of ability. There will be three divisions: kindergarten to grade 4, grades 5 to 8 and grades 9 to 12.
Schuylkill County schools that have a minimum of four students entered in a division will be eligible to win the 2019 Chess Champion Trophy. The top school in each division will receive a trophy. Medals will be awarded to the top three individuals in each division.
The Nativity chess club has 25 members. The co-advisers are teachers Al Bobinas and Dominic Chiplonia, both who enjoy the game and enjoy seeing younger people showing enthusiasm in playing it. The club meets at least once a week in the computer classroom.
“I started the club a couple of years ago when I started at Nativity,” Bobinas said. “And then ‘Mr. Chip’ came on board last year.”
Four Nativity students participated in the 2019 Pennsylvania State Scholastic Chess Championships held March 2 and 3 at Gettysburg. The tournament is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Chess Federation, which is the official state affiliate to the United States Chess Federation.
“We’re going to be sending a team there,” Bobinas said.
Chiplonia said that the current club is a resurrection of a former one at the school.
“I went to high school here and I graduated in 2012. When I was here, there was a chess club,” Chiplonia said. “When I was hired last year, Dr. Bo was running it and I stopped in to see what it was all about and he asked if I wanted to help.”
Chiplonia also appreciates how some students love to participate.
“It’s something fun. They love the game,” he said. “We have some students who are going to the state tournament. They know all the different maneuvers and strategies, but a lot of them just play for fun. It’s like a mental exercise.”
Chiplonia explained that not everyone who expresses an interest to join knows how to play.
“There are some who come in as total novices. Dr. Bo and I will explain the basics of the game, how the pieces move, but one of the best parts of this school is that everyone knows everybody, so we get a novice to sit with two others and watch them play and teach each other. It’s pretty cool watching them interact like that. It’s not a sport, but it is a different kind of game. There’s a lot of teamwork there to learn the game.”
Three schools participating in the 2018 tournament and the co-advisers are looking forward to this year’s challenge.
“It was a successful tournament. We had a lot of K-8 here,” Chiplonia said. “We had three high school teams last year.”
When asked how many kindergarteners play chess, Bobinas said, “Right now we have four signed up in the K-4 category so far.
The registration fee for this year’s tournament is $10 per person. Registrations must be received by the close of school on March 20. Late registrations will not be accepted. There is no on-site registration the day of the tournament.
There will be some boards and pieces on site. However, participants should bring their own chess pieces, chess board and chess clock (or a mobile device with a chess clock app). Score sheets will be supplied.
Check-in time is 8-8:30 a.m. A participation list will be posted before the tournament at the site. A players meeting (all competitors must attend) will begin at 8:30 a.m. The first round will begin at 9 a.m. It will be a four-round Swiss-system tournament. The tournament will use the stChess app for determining both pairings and rankings. The tournament should finish by 3 p.m. with the following schedule:
• Round 1: 9 a.m.
• Round 2: 10:30 a.m. (or earlier if all competitors have completed Round 1)
• Round 3: Noon (or earlier if all competitors have completed Round 2)
• Round 4: 1:30 p.m. (or earlier if all competitors have completed Round 3)
Medals go to the top three finishers in each division and team trophies to the top school in each division. The top four scores from each school will be used to determine the team winner. A school must have at least four students participating in order to qualify for the team trophy.
All children must have adult supervision. Parents are responsible for their children’s actions and any damage they may cause to the tournament site. Seating space is limited so, if possible, limit the number of family members who attend.
For more information about the county chess tournament, contact Bobinas at 570-728-1389 or albobinas@gmail.com
Contact the writer: jusalis@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023