Students Participate in District Chess Competition

Students Participate in District Chess Competition
Posted on 02/14/2023

     Mountain View School District’s Annual Chess Competition brought third through eighth grade students from Twin Lakes, Monte Vista and Parkview schools together to put their mental gaming talents to the test.

     Players were divided into three levels based on their years of experience playing the game. The competition was intense as students calculated their moves, strategized and maneuvered their pieces with the ultimate goal of checkmating their opponents’ King. 

     The three schools have Chess Clubs which meet regularly before or after school, providing students the opportunity to learn the game of strategy, tactics and logic.  Twin Lakes’ club is led by teacher, Doug Jones, Monte Vista’s by teacher Marcos Bowers and Parkview’s by teacher Steve Owen.

     “We meet every Monday after school and it’s fun,” said Phat Le, Twin Lakes 8th grader.  “Chess is a mental game and it helps me concentrate.”

     “Chess is very strategic and fun,” said Yadiel Amador, 6th grader from Monte Vista.  “Mr. Bowers is a good coach and helps us get better.”

     “I like the adrenaline rush I get when I play chess,” said Hugo Torres, Parkview 6th grader.  “It’s a stressful game but it’s also fun.”

     Along with being fun, research shows that playing chess has great benefits for children including improving spatial-reasoning ability, visual memory, and attention span.  Playing chess also boosts reading and math skills because it involves decoding, thinking, comprehension and analysis.

     “Chess is a great educational tool because it engages players in strategic thinking as they weigh their options and make decisions on their next moves,” said Michelle Torres, Monte Vista School Principal.  

     When you play a game of chess, concentration and memory are key, just like in a classroom.”

     Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are also enhanced while playing chess as players calculate their plan of attack or defense on the chess board, moving their pieces.  It also teaches patience and persistence and builds self-confidence which are important in all areas of life.

     “Congratulations to our amazing students and coaches on a wonderful morning of competition,” said Torres.  “Students you did a great job and your sportsmanship and enthusiasm were excellent!”

     Taking top honors in the competition with a tie score were Co-Champions Juan Vazquez and Daijiro Sanca 7th graders from Monte Vista.  Also placing in the top were 7th grader, Giovani Hernandez, 4th grader, Allen Dam and 3rd grader, Diane Vazquez from Monte Vista.  Earning Honorable Mention were John Lopez, 8th grader from Twin Lakes and Oscar Li, 8th grader from Parkview.


Each competitor was awarded a 2023 Chess Competition ribbon and a certificate, and the top finishers were awarded with a medal and championship level chess board. 

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