LIHUE — Parents watching the games at the Kauai Community Chess Club notice the intensity and focus that their children display during the games.
They also notice the fun that their kids have after the games, talking to each other excitedly about their battles and watching older players complete their slower games. Both male and female players competed, with a range from ages 8 to 80.
“Chess brings people together,” says tournament organizer and director Damian Nash. “It teaches us that competing and conflicting ideas are interesting and fun to explore. Also, we can fight fiercely during the game and still be great friends when it is over.”
Valor Mexia, a 10th grader at Kauai High School, won the nationally rated advanced section for the third time. Fernando Ramos, returning to the game after a 17-year break, finished second. Ed Hayes of Princeville finished third and picked up over 100 rating points.
In the intermediate section, Steve Crago of Wailua took the gold with the only perfect score of the day. At 3-1 and winning silver and bronze were Eric Larsen and Ethan Pinnock.
The top three finishers in the beginner section were seventh-grader Jannik Evanoff, who won 7.5 out of 8 games, fourth-grader Matteo Romero, and ninth-grader Kamalewa Diego. The gold, silver and bronze medals for the top three female players went to Lilia Ramos, Sierra Hampton-Eng and Lea Ramos.
The next Kauai Community Tournaments at the Lihue Public Library will be Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 14. Everyone who enjoys the game is invited to come and play. For more information about the tournaments contact Sierra@KauaiChess.com.
To find out about chess clubs on Kauai, write Clubs@KauaiChess.com.
