Tech to host first of two state scholastic chess tournaments

The 2019 Tennessee State Scholastic Individual Chess Tournament will be held on Saturday, Feb. 16, at Tech.

COOKEVILLE – The best chess players in the state will gather at Tennessee Tech for state and individual championships while having a chance to earn scholarships.

The 2019 Tennessee State Scholastic Individual Chess Tournament will be held on Saturday, Feb. 16, at Tech while the Tennessee State Scholastic Team Chess Tournament will be held on Saturday, March 23 in Tech’s Roaden University Center.

Tech will award four-year University Service Scholarships in the amount of $4,000 per year to the first place winner and $2,500 to the second place winner of the high school section.

“We have hosted the individual finals here since 1998 and the team finals since 2004,” said Paul Semmes, Tennessee Chess Association vice president and dean of Tech’s College of Arts & Sciences. “We have been able to offer scholarships since 2004.”

These two chess events are open to Tennessee K-12 students who qualified for the championship event by being one of the top finishers in one of four regional events around the state. The four regions for individuals are Oak Ridge, Cleveland, Nashville and Memphis while the four state regions include Lenoir City, Livingston, Nashville and Memphis.

“There are four separate sections in these tournaments, one for grades 12 and under (high school section), another for grades 9 and under (Jr. high section), grades 6 and under (elementary) and grades 3 and under (primary),” said Semmes. “Tech offers scholarships to the top two high school finishers. These are University Service scholarships offered through the admissions office that students qualify for these based on ACT score and high school GPA.”

The individual finals on Saturday will bring about 128 K-12 students, and the team finals on March 23 is expected to bring about 300 K-12 students to campus. 

The high school champion earns the right to represent Tennessee in the Arnold Denker Tournament of High School Champions at the U.S. Open in Orlando, FL. The top 8th grader or below in the junior high section earns the right to represent Tennessee in the Barber Tournament of K-8 Champions at the U.S. Open in Orlando, Florida. 

The Tennessee Chess Association is the official governing body for the development and growth of chess within the state. Organized in 1947, the TCA is a non-profit corporation. Administered by a board of directors, it is an affiliate of the United States Chess Federation and, among other things, serves as a source of support and direction for clubs, scholastic programs and competition in Tennessee.

For more information, log on to http://tnchess.us/.

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