Chess champ teaches Seattle Hill kids a lesson

Published 10:52 pm Monday, October 6, 2008

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.