Chess Team Places Second at Intermountain Tournament
Published: June 06, 2023 | Author: Ryann Anderegg | Read Time: 1 minutes
Southern Utah University's chess team placed second in the Intermountain Intercollegiate Chess Tournament on Saturday, March 25 at the University of Utah. SUU beat several universities including Utah State University, Brigham Young University, and University of Nevada Las Vegas, in some very competitive games.
SUU’s chess club was awarded second place overall, and ten players competed with the following SUU players winning trophies: Michael Hutchins on Board 1, Marshall Manesse on Board 2, and Caleb Slater on Board 3. Kate Ehlert, the SUU Chess Club President, also won a trophy.
Romina Peralta, playing in the reserve section, won three games to place highest among women players. Core teams in chess competitions consist of a university's top three players and pairings do not differentiate between men and women players. Romina won games against very challenging male opponents.
Freshman Caleb Slater was a bit intimidated to be playing at a collegiate level for the first time. Despite his misgivings, Caleb ended his last game in a remarkable flourish of moves that his opponent did not see coming, and had a perfect tournament run winning all his games.
“Our entire team really stepped up to the challenge in this tournament and we are immensely proud of them,” said Dr. Samuel Wells, the SUU chess coach. “We encourage other interested students to come join our chess club.”
SUU’s Chess Club provides opportunities for all interested students to participate in the game. Meetings are held weekly during the Fall and Spring semesters and are open to players of all levels. This is an open environment for students to learn and develop their skills as chess players and critical thinkers.
Tags: Clubs