Chess is one of the oldest sports that is still played today. It has garnered millions of fans throughout history for the complex strategy and tactics required to win. Some players dedicate their entire lives to attempting to master the game. That’s why, over the weekend of May 3 and 4, Seattle University Chess Club hosted its Chess Classic tournament, with people from all over attending. Among the players fighting for victory was I, Diego Gonzalez (the person writing this article).

As a chess novice, I joined due to its open Swiss format and the fact that there was a Casual 18+ section. It basically means that throughout the tournament, I would be playing against people who have the same points as me (based on wins and losses), and that I would play against other casuals without a care for rating. The 18+ was also key because I did not want to spend my Saturday getting beaten by child prodigies. 

While the chess tournament lasted two days, the casual section was only on Saturday. There were five games throughout the entire day. Each player had 30 minutes but a 10-second delay, meaning that if you played a move within the first 10 seconds, you wouldn’t lose any time.

I signed up with one of my friends, Savate, who joined me in my same section. Savate being there made the whole experience much more fun as we could banter and chat in between games. The first game started around 9 a.m. on the sixth floor of Bannan. 

In the same room, there was the Scholastic section, which meant a bunch of little kids were playing against each other. It was extremely funny hearing the little kids argue about moves and seeing how happy they looked when taking the other person’s pieces. 

I was luckily paired against another Seattle U student who was also a part of the chess club. I played against him before during the club, so I knew what to expect. Through some skill and mostly luck, I won my first game.

After the first game, everyone started talking to each other. I knew almost all the Seattle U students and quickly met all the community members who were participating. Everyone was extremely nice and provided advice to one another.  

For my second game, I was all warmed up and ready to go 5-0. Unfortunately for me, I was playing against an extremely good individual. We had a decent opening, but I made a singular mistake that he capitalized on. He ended up winning the game, leaving me with 1-1. 

Because I lost so quickly, I decided to check out the rest of the tournament. I walked over to Sinegal, where the main tournament was happening, to watch the much better players compete for their respective cash prizes. 

One of the coolest parts of the event was that chess Grandmaster Kayden Troff was in attendance as a special guest. One of his many accomplishments was being the World Under 14 Chess Champion in 2012. There are also only 100ish grandmasters in the United States, making his attendance a big part of the event. For the non-Chess people, it is the equivalent of a pro athlete showing up to a soccer tournament. 

GM Troff wasn’t there to compete, instead, he was there to provide game analysis to all players and to play blitz games. While I waited in line to get my game analyzed, I learned a lot from GM Troff as he broke down the best plays and strategies for other games. Unfortunately, I had to leave for my next game before I could get my own game analyzed. 

For the third game, I was up against Savate, and I quickly beat him. He beats me most of the time when we hang out, but fortunately, after watching GM Troff, I dominated him on the tournament board. Afterward, I beat him again for the love of the game while waiting for everyone else to finish. 

As I was now 2-1, I played against an amazing player who was another community member. We chuckled and smiled while playing as I desperately tried not to get checkmated. I held on but eventually lost.

For my final game, I played against another Seattle U student. It was a close match, but I pulled through in the endgame, leaving with a final score of 3-2. I got a six-way tie for 3rd place, meaning that I got a cash prize!

I had an incredible experience at the chess tournament. The players were amazing. Everyone was nice and humble, whether they won or lost. All the players were there to have fun and make sure others had fun. The community we created was incredible.

I would recommend anyone interested in chess to check out the chess club by joining their ConnectSU, so you can improve your skills and compete in the next tournament!