Four Day Chess-A-Thon: 2017 SuperNationals

5/17/2017

Guest Post by Mr. Jim Maloney, MS Science Dept Chair and Chess Team Coach

Severn Upper and Middle school chess players just returned from a four day chess-a-thon also known as the US Chess Federation's SuperNationals tournament. Our students competed against 5,500 other kids at the record-setting largest chess tournament ever held! We came away with the 12th best speed chess team in the country and the 10th best Bughouse team, along with high rankings for our individual players. It's amazing to see the amount of energy and good will that the kids pour into those four days!

The Playing Rooms

There were about five rooms of this size.

Playing room at 2017 SuperNationals Chess tournament.

All the players, families, coaches, teachers need a space while waiting, which is called the Skittles Room. Here are a couple of pictures of that hangar-sized area.

Waiting rooms at the 2017 SuperNationals Chess tournament

Waiting room at the 2017 Chess SuperNationals tournament

The Severn Chess Crew

Our particular table was fairly easy to spot, it was the one with the tall, Blitz trophy on it. We placed #12 in the country.

Our table with the tall speed chess trophy, Mr. Marcos Perez and Severn 6th grader Ben Keith — *Mr. Marcos Perez and **Ben Keith** '23*

In addition to the students, Hayden Lamb '20, Ben Carsley '17, Jimmy Leroux '19, Jon Huber '19, Tate Taczak '19, Ben Keith '23, Alan Liao '18, we had two chaperones, Pat Fitzgerald and Jen Leroux, and two teachers, Mr. Marcos Perez and myself.

This event is one with many "moving parts". We had players in four different divisions with games in lengths varying from 15 minutes to 4 hours and 15 minutes. We stayed in a hotel that was a 15-20 walk from the playing rooms. Everyone had to be fed and somewhat rested, etc. Thanks to Jen and Pat for helping out on all those fronts!

Mr Perez handled all the billeting, transportation, registration, and other logistics connected with the trip, which is no small feat. In fact, it's a huge feat!

We definitely had our share of OTB (over the board) stories & successes. For example, it's the first time we had a player in the Championship Section, it was the first time we were able to field a complete team the U-1600 section, and win the Blitz trophy in the preliminaries. Strictly looking at results, it may have been our top tournament ever. Looking ahead, there were no seniors, so everyone can return to the next one in Columbus, OH!

Of course, that is part of the reason we go, but for those of us on the trip, what is so impressive year after year is watching the students help and encourage each other, older students watching out for younger ones ... that's what makes it such a really great road trip. It's the kind of thing that makes a chaperone or teacher want to keep going back (once they catch up on their sleep!) year after year.

Here we are at the airport in Nashville, waiting for our return flight.

"After — Mr. Marcos Perez, **Jimmy Leroux** '19, **Hayden Lamb** '20, **Jon Huber** '19, **Tate Taczak** '19, **Ben Carsle**y '17, **Alan Liao** '18 Mr. Jim Maloney, and **Ben Keith** '23 (front row)

Rankings

We had the 12th best Blitz (speed chess) team in the country.
Alan Liao and 6th grader Ben Keith fielded the 10th best Bughouse team in the country.
We have the 34th best U1600 team in the country (this is the first time Severn has ever fielded a team in this high a division).
Ben Carsley is the 37th best U1200 division player in the country.
Alan Liao is the 44th best K-12 player in the entire country.

And When It Was All Over ...

Thank you to all of our families and friends for your support. Time for a pop quiz. After four, full days of chess playing, what activity did the students do at the airport, while waiting for our flight to be called?

Answer: played chess on the floor.

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