Scholastic Chess Returns to NWA with Farmington Tournament

Apr 23

Almost 100 students from Northwest Arkansas gathered together at the NWA Education Service Cooperative in Farmington on Saturday - and together they had the first over-the-board scholastic chess tournament in our area since before the pandemic. It was a sight for sore eyes for many coaches, parents, and students, and it goes without saying that it feels good to have chess back.

The competitors represented schools from all across Northwest Arkansas - stretching from Bentonville to Lincoln. Many students were playing in their very first tournament and have only recently learned how to play chess - which makes sense, because many after school programs were shut down completely during the pandemic. But, at the same time, chess has really picked up in popularity nationwide.

The mastermind behind the tournaments sponsored by the NWAESC is Dustin Seaton - the gifted and talented specialist for our area. For anyone who has ever tried to wrangle together a room of 100 kids, you know how impressive it is for a tournament like this to run like clockwork. And Seaton does a wonderful job focusing on good sportsmanship, learning opportunities, and, above all, having fun. It feels good to see a room full of 100 kids shaking hands and wishing each other “good luck” before every game.

Each player in the tournament played 5 games, whether they win or lose. For each round they are paired up with another player with a similar amount of points. And after all 5 games, trophies were awarded to the top 3 players in each age division - 4th grade and under, 5th/6th, and 7th grade and over.

K-4th Grade Division