Martin, Our One-Man Team
OUR ONE MAN TEAM!
On 25 March our chess team participated in a tournament at Briarmeadow Charter School. For any tournament one never knows how many kids will sign up, or from what grades. This tournament turned out be a small tournament (103 players), with 47 primary grade (K-3) players, 42 elementary (grades 4 – 6) players, only four middle school (grades 7-8) players, and nine high school players. So, The tournament organizers combined the high school and middle school players into one HS/MS section of 13 players.
We entered the tournament with seven players; five competing at the Elementary level, one at the Primary level, and one at the MS/HS level; our seventh grader “Martin”*
Our best chance for a team trophy was at the elementary level, with five players. Four players won individual trophies with three wins out of five games each; but we missed the Third Place Elementary School Team Trophy by just a half point. So-o-o-oclose!. In the combined HS/MS competition, the computer matched seventh Grader Martin against five high school players. Martin more that held his own, winning three of his five games and winning the Fourth Place Trophy out of the thirteen HS/MS players.
We assumed that there would be first second and third place team trophies for the combined HS/MS section
With Xavier our only HS/MS player, we were not paying attention to the HS/MS team awards announcement. However, having anticipated a larger and more balanced turnout in terms of grade levels, the organizershad purchased First, Second and Third Place Team trophies for each level; Elementary, Middle School and High School. We were packing up our stuff for the ride home when we heard, “Second Place Middle School Team; St Peter the Apostle.” We were astonished. Another middle school had brought a team of three, and taken first place. Martin, all on his own, had won the Second Place Team Trophy!
It’s an apt example of one of the life lessons we learn from chess: Once in a while you win in life by just showing up.