PRESS RELEASE: MAINE CHESS ASSOCIATION CROWNS STATE CHAMPS
ORONO—Amidst the gleam of glass and metal of student engineering projects at the UMaine’s College of Engineering and Computing, Pre-K to 12 grade students gathered on March 22 to compete for the Maine Chess Association’s (MECA) state individual championship tournaments.
There were nine sections, or mini-tournaments, based on students’ grade or rating/ability. Hancock County players fared well including four-year-old Elam Monahan, from Rose’s Little School in Bar Harbor, taking the first place trophy in the Kindergarten to first grade championship section.
“Elam was ecstatic when he heard the announcement that he was the K-1 state chess champion,” said Dan Monahan, Elam’s dad and an assistant tournament director. “He started learning chess from his older siblings a couple of years ago and has since developed a passion for the game. We are very proud of him.”
Conners Emerson School also had several players competing. For K-5 elementary players, 2nd graders Daniel Chang came in 15th in the championship section and Sadie Monahan placed tenth in the Rated Under 500 section. For middle school, sixth grader Finn Monahan came in 13th in the championship section and seventh graders Anthony Siemion and Samuel Chang came in sixth and 16th, respectively, in the Rated Under 800 section.
“Having the tournament at the UMaine College of Engineering was fun because many of the student engineering projects were on display including what looked like a rocket snowmobile and also a robot that kids could play chess against,” added Monahan. “It was a great experience.”
MDI Chess hosts a scholastic chess club on most Sundays from 4-5:30 p.m. at Choco-Latte coffee shop in Bar Harbor. For more information about scholastic chess visit www.ChessMaine.net or contact MDI Chess at MDIChess1@gmail.com.