Slide Show: Kids Get Serious at First Manhattan Youth Chess Tournament

SLIDE SHOW Click photo to see more pictures 

Krish Singhal, kindergarten, P.S. 276

In one of two tournament rooms, second and third graders competed in one division, fourth and fifth graders in another. Kindergartners and first graders played in the other room.

Sami Shikkov, kindergarten, P.S. 276

Aidan Lombard, 3rd grade, P.S. 89

Davynn Lombard, kindergarten, P.S. 397

Lucas D'Haene, kindergarten, P.S. 397

Lillie Bhan, 4th grade, P.S. 276

Maxwell Kusiak, 4th grade, P.S. 397

Rafaela Liebowitz, kindergarten, P.S. 276

Jamita Mani-Lorenzato, kindergarten, P.S. 397

Tennyson Marshall, kindergarten, P.S. 276

Parents and chess players come together as chess coach Aaron Parness prepares to award certificates to the champions and runner-ups.

Adam Abdelgawad, a first grader at P.S. 276, is named champion of the kindergarten-first grade division.

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY CARL GLASSMAN

It was so quiet you could hear a pawn drop.

That was the hush that fell over the lower level of the Downtown Community Center on May 14 when 75 otherwise fidgety and energetic kids from six Lower Manhattan elementary schools—many as young as five—competed in Manhattan Youth’s first chess tournament.

The children, from chess classes in the Manhattan Youth after-school programs, sat silently before their game boards; in one room the second and third graders, and fourth and fifth graders competed; in the other, kindergartners and first graders played. No parents were allowed.

“We’re going to shake hands, no talking, white makes the first move,” chess coach Aaron Parness announced to the youngest group, and the tournament began.

Only two words could be uttered: “check” and “adjust” (when a player moves his piece onto the square where it belongs). Even “checkmate” could not be announced—or vocally celebrated—but instead required a raised hand, to be verified by a coach in the room. One first grader, annoyed that his opponent was taking too long to move, looked pained as he tried to speed him up with grimaces and dirty looks.

“I thought they would have shorter attention spans and it would be hard to keep them contained,” said Susan Kay, Manhattan Youth’s coordinator of special events and tournament organizer. “But the kids were so focused.”

“The energy in that room was amazing,” she added.

Following three tournament rounds, children and parents parents came together upstairs for the awarding of certificates to the champions and runner-ups. (Everyone received a certificate of achievement.)

Winners or not, Coach Parness said, young children get a big boost in confidence as they see their game improve. And they gain important life skills, as well.

“When you’re able to sit back and think logically and make a decision, that permeates your whole life,” he said. “You can’t put a price on that.”

THE RESULTS

K-1

WINNER: Adam Abdelgawad

RUNNER UPS: Ellis Kohn and Jake Thompson

2-3

WINNER: Nathan Luan

RUNNER UP: Vedant Kothari

4-5

WINNER: Louis Orozco

RUNNER UP: Alexander LaRocca