Chess Club placed second at the North Suburban Chess League Conference that took place at Niles West High School late last month. The win was a huge comeback for the team, and secured a better position for the future Sectionals meet, Steven Szpisjak, Chess Club sponsor, said.
The team won three out of four rounds in the tournament with key players like junior Isaac Koh and sophomore Ekansh Mehrotra securing many victories in their rounds, Szpisjak said.
Second place proved to be a pleasantly surprising victory for the team. After a break from playing matches, the team jumped back into the competition, Szpisjak said.
“[The team] hadn’t played a tournament since December, so we were really rusty,” Szpisjak said. “[But] the sluggishness was wearing off after all the not playing.”
The club’s victory promises them a higher placing spot in the Sectionals tournament, a specific type of placement called a “seed”, Szpisjak said.
“Any team can get to Sectionals, but how you are seeded [is crucial],” Szpisjak explained. “The better record you have the better [seed] you will get.”
South’s Chess Club’s seed will ensure them a strong start to the Sectionals tournament, all thanks to their conference win. The placement guarantees them an advantage in their first rounds at Sectionals, as they will compete against lower-ranking teams, Szpisjak said.
Chess Club’s win was impressive and a driving force for the team members, junior Lucas Raicu, Chess Club member, said. Though they were out of tournaments for a while, their conference proved to be incredibly successful for the team, Raicu said.
“The second place win will serve as motivation for [us], as [we] look ahead to upcoming Sectionals and State tournaments, determined to achieve even greater success.” Raicu said.