Celeste

Celeste is in third grade.  Even though it may be challenging for third graders to maintain concentration through a complicated chess problem, it’s fun to teach them because they are so wonderfully spontaneous.

Celeste started as a “rookie” this year, meaning she knew nothing about chess.  Normally it takes the whole first semester to get a rookie up to a level of play to have about a 50/50 chance of winning at least one of five games in her first tournament.   That’s our criteria for putting a rookie on the chess team.  Celeste caught on quickly, and we entered her in her first tournament at  Chavex High School on October 14.  We give our rookie players low expectations when they play in their first tournament.  It` was a successful tournament for her. She won one and lost four, and learned that she could win a game of competitive tournament chess.

The next tournament, on December 9, at T. H. Rogers School. is the biggest scholastic tournament of the year in Houston; this time 538 players.  In the eight weeks between the two tournaments, Celeste continued to make remarkable progress, surprising me with her solutions to chess problems I thought too difficult for her, and beginning to win games from more experienced teammates at chess practice.  I knew the T. H. Rogers tournament would be tough, but I was confident that she would win two and maybe even three games out of five.  Celeste competed in a section of 28 second and third graders.

Celeste wins three games and drew two, scoring 4 out of a possible 5 points!  Undefeated -  but not perfect.  

About ten minutes before the trophy awards, the results of her section are posted.  No one won all five games.  No one won four and had a draw for four and a half points.  Celeste’s four points tied for first place with two other players!  The decision of who would receive the First, Second and Third Place Trophies will be done by computing how many wins each player’s opponent had that day.  The First Place Trophy goes to the player whose opponents had won the most games that day; the logic being that that player played tougher opponents.  And likewise for Second and Third Places.  I told Celeste that she was tied for First and explained to her the tie-break system that would decide which trophy she would win.  Her eyes lit up. 

“Celeste, would you like me to go back to the final results posting to figure out which trophy you’ll get?”

“No, Mr. Marcely. Let’s have it be a surprise.”

Minutes later, Jim Liptrap is presenting the trophies.  After passing out the smaller trophies, there remain the three biggest trophies.

“Three players tied for first with four wins.  The Third Place Trophy goes to. . . Celeste Francis from St. Peter the Apostle School.” 

I’m disappointed.  I was hoping for First.  Maybe I shouldn’t have told her she tied for First.  I’m thinking she may be a bit disappointed, too.  She comes back with her trophy, beaming.  “Celeste!  Let me see your trophy.  Wow!  Look at that!  What a beautiful  ….”She interrupts me, and blurts out, in her playground voice, “MISTER MARCELY!  I AM SO-O-O HAPPY!”

This is why teachers teach; for moments like this.

In two years Celeste will be a fifth grader.  She’ll be “cool,” and it won’t be “cool” to say things like that.