Chess on the road

Cannon School's K-6 chess team has learned the game can be played anywhere - and is ideal for passing time.

While driving to compete in the chess Elementary Nationals, hosted by the U.S. Chess Federation in Nashville, the team hit a bit of traffic.

So what did they do with their time stuck on the interstate - they played chess of course. Teammates broke out boards and chess pieces and began to play what they call "blitz chess," or timed five-minute games, right on the asphalt of I-40.

Practice must have paid off because when the team finally made it to the competition, they placed sixth out of 49 teams from across the nation and first among North Carolina schools.

At the tournament, each of the following students played more than 20 hours of tournament chess during seven rounds, held over three days: Joshua Doolittle, a rising sixth grader from Huntersville; Grayson Herrera, a rising sixth grader from Harrisburg; Joseph Hurtado, a rising fifth grader from Concord; Dylan Kabasakalian, a rising third grader from Huntersville; Lucas Kabasakalian, a rising fifth grader from Huntersville; Owen Koehler, a rising third grader from Mooresville; Matthew Kroll, a rising third grader from Concord; Joshua Reid, a rising third grader from Concord; Mudiame Tokunboh, a rising sixth grader from Huntersville; and Rob Trufant, a rising fifth grader from Concord.

Lucas Kabasakalian placed 13th out of 292 players from around the country.

The team will continue to train and play over the summer at the Queen City Chess Association in uptown Charlotte.

Photo: Courtesy of David Long.