| Record Breaking National High School Champs Underway |
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| By Jorge Barrera | |
| April 11, 2015 | |
IM Akshat Chandra
At the boards students have come from across the United States, from as far away as California and Florida, to challenge their peers. Of note, Chess In the Schools, a non-for-profit organization based in New York, sent one hundred of their participants to compete, and their students will be taking a tour of Ohio State University as part of their College Bound program. In addition, Texas Tech University has sent staff members from their Knight Raiders Chess Club to introduce potential students their university and their strong chess program. When asked, Haraldur Karlsson said that the tournament is where the brightest minds are, and, therefore, it is logical to be a presence at the competition. Moreover, Texas Tech, he indicated, offers twenty dedicated chess scholarships.  At the boards, competition has been fierce. As this year brought in a record number of players, there are a multitude of experts and masters fighting it out. The three day tournament, from April 10th to the 12th, will consist of seven rounds in five sections, with an additional National High School Blitz championship, a National High School Bughouse championship, and even a family and friends tournament for those not participating. The final rounds will take place on Sunday afternoon. Thus far, top-seeded IM Akshat Chandra has managed to win all four of his games. Even at this early stage in the tournament, the competition has been difficult. His round two game against Taylor Bagley from Kentucky was an interesting one. Taylor said that he felt that he doing well and was confident until move thirty, but ultimately, the experience of Chandra proved too much for this young hopeful. 7891 Overall the tournament is off to a great start with all players on the top three boards having perfect scores after four rounds. Update: Kesav Viswanadha leads the National High School Championship with a perfect 5/5. 
Taylor Bagley
Find full standings and pairings here and look for a wrap-up by Jorge Barerra upon the event's conclusion. |
