Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> Kevin Nortz / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Seattle Hill Elementary third-grader Sierra Curlott playfully taunts her opponent during a chess club meeting Friday. Kevin Nortz / The Herald  (click to enlarge) One of Seattle Hill Elementary's many chess club members contemplates a move during Friday's meeting.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Today's Buzz brought to you by the weak economy 10/7/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Chess champ teaches Seattle Hill kids a lesson By Eric Stevick Herald Writer One by one, nearly three dozen Seattle Hill Elementary School students put former Washington state chess champion William Schill into checkmate. For the most efficient young players, it took 19 moves; for others, up to 40. "That's the perfect move," he would tell one opponent. "Your logic is perfect," he would tell another. No one was jumping out of their chairs with glee. After all, it was just a drill with Schill, who competes internationally. He started with just his king and the kids were armed with a king and a rook. The goal of the exercise was to teach them to quickly and aggressively narrow the squares where Schill could move his king. This is the first year Seattle Hill Elementary has had a chess club and Schill, a U.S. Chess Federation master, is their coach. He gently but firmly gives advice as he sizes up their skills. Chess enthusiast Joel Aragon of Snohomish picks up the teaching fee to bring Schill to the campus on the west side of the Snohomish School District each Friday afternoon. He also gives the students tips of his own. "This is my way of putting back a little bit into the world," Aragon said. Aragon figures students are learning about life as well as chess. "It teaches them how to develop a plan and how to execute a plan, but they also learn about flexibility," he said. Organizers were overwhelmed by the level of interest. They had hoped for 15 to 20 students but ended up with double that. Fifth-grader Erika Tonning, 10, has high hopes -- and one big goal -- for the experience. "All my life, my (older) brother and I have been playing chess," she said. "He has always been beating me. I was hoping I can figure out how to beat him." Students play against each other while they wait for tutoring from Schill. Most games are relatively quick. There are no tears or struts, just nods and handshakes before setting up the board for another game. A few parents roam around the cafeteria tables, watching but resisting the urge to coach. Adrian Woods is glad his third-grade daughter, Rachael, 8, decided to sign up for the chess team. "We practice at home," he said. "I like it because it teaches analytical thinking and to solve a problem." Fifth-grader Kyle Sylte, 10, quickly found value in the king-and-rook checkmate lesson. In a match last Friday, that's all he had left. "We played it all the way down to that," he said. "I couldn't believe it, but the lesson worked." Reporter Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446 or e-mail stevick@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Fire destroys Emory's restaurant 2. Man dies in apparent suicide on Edmonds beach 3. Camano Island burglaries spike: Is Colton back? 4. Storm dents Tulalip couple's retirement plan 5. For many cougars, it's one night only 6. Lulu the St. Bernard helps out with crossing guard job 7. Business Briefly: L.A. man gets prison for repackaging Boeing 737 plane parts 8. Sultan man charged with assault for firing at deputy 9. Peggy Pritchard Olson always put Edmonds first 10. Emory's blaze causes $2 million in damage 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Bazaar Fever • Hawks proud of historic season • Olson always put Edmonds first • ‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop • Mavs build early lead en route to easy win • Honoring student veterans • Tears of laughter, tears of grief • Death on Edmonds beach likely a suicide • Edmonds gets education grant • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million