County Knights Will Host Chess Challenge

By Michael Mee/The Leeds News

On Saturday, December 12, the Country Knights Chess Club (CKCC) based in Odenville will host what it hopes will become an annual “Chess Challenge.”

It will be held at Mi Casita Mexican Restaurant on Highway 411 in Odenville and players and teams of every level are invited to attend.

The Chess Challenge is not an official United States Chess Federation tournament, but it will offer a chance to show off their talent on the board.

Pedro Pino took over the chess program at Odenville library that was started last year. “We are a bona fide chess club,” Pino noted. The club has two tiers, a scholastic and an adults program.

“I’m just trying to get some people that it has been a while since they’ve played together,” Pino, a 50-year-old Cuban native who learned to play in his home country, said. “I also teach chess. I’m about a medium level player.”

He said that CKCC is starting to pick up some steam now that people know it has been around. There are nine students from middle school to high school ages that attend their meeting regularly.

“The library was instrumental in giving us the space to meet,” Pino said. His group meets every other Wednesday after school at the library. They try to stay open form 5:30 to 7 p.m. and are looking to put together a booklet for sponsors to help fund the club so people can see it more in the community.

The entry fee for the Challenge is $15 and checks mailed must be postmarked by December 4. The cost will be $20 to enter on the day of the challenge.

Registration will start at 8 a.m. with roll call at 8:45 a.m. The first round will begin at 9 a.m.

All participants should expect to play at least 4 rounds of chess. The Challenge is not an elimination tournament, so players should plan to stay for the whole day.

This event will be run in three phases.

Phase One 8:00-11:00a.m. (Registration, Roll Call, Round 1& Round 2)

Phase Two 11:00-1:00p.m. (Lunch – Free to registered players)

Phase Three 1:00-4:00 p.m. (Round 3, Round 4 & Awards Presentation)

Players must bring their own chess sets since the club has limited supply of sets. Certificates will be given to all participants; trophies will be given to the top individual performers (1st-3rd) and medals (4th-6th) per brackets.

In order to participate, complete a registration form and return with the $15 (per participant) to the Country Knights Chess Club.

Please remember proper attire is required, cell phones are not allowed at playing tables, gum is not allowed at any CKCC function

To obtain an entry form, contact the CKCC at 629-3822 or email:

pmpino@hotmail.com

Mail forms to Country Knights Chess Club, 149 Solar Shield Blvd. Odenville, AL 35120

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