New Buffalo, Bridgman students face off in chess tournament

Mad About Chess

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

Last week, Jennifer Bauer, a teacher at New Buffalo Middle School, and her students learned that chess has been declared the “most popular game in the whole wide world.”

“We just heard it on the news the other day, so my kids were pretty fired up,” she said.

Bauer then asked her students how many have a chess app on their phones – and everyone said they did.

“They said they are enjoying chess more than social media - so I think it’s a good thing for our world, it’s something kids can do, it’s healthy, it’s something they can play either with a person or by themselves,” she said.

Those who wanted to witness the chess madness that’s recently infiltrated the school building needed to look no further than the New Buffalo Middle/High School cafeteria Wednesday, Feb. 22, where 30 students were participating in the New Buffalo Middle/High School and Bridgman Middle/High School four-round chess tournament.

According to Bauer, who’s the advisor for both the middle and high school chess clubs, up to 26 students come at different times to play chess in the club at the middle school club, which began this year.

Last year, they started the high school one, which could have between eight and 14 students playing chess weekly.

A lifetime chess player herself, Bauer said she was approached about being an advisor for that age level by a student when she was teaching at the high school last year.

“So, he went to Mr. Butler (the former principal) and got a petition and had the kids signhe got 10 signatures and he then looked for an advisor and came right to me,” she said, adding that she said yes “because I love chess.”

She said her daughter attended Bridgman, so she knew that they, too, had quite the chess scene going on amongst their students.

Aaron Knoll, the instructional technology coordinator at Bridgman Public Schools who serves as the advisor for Bridgman High School’s chess club, said that the club has been around for a year.

The club, which has around eight students who pass through it from time to time, has never been a part of an actual tournament before.

“Some of my kids have played online or with family but some of the kids are brand new so they’re kind of nervous coming but I think they’re having a good time,” he said.

Eileen Smiertelny, who’s the advisor for Bridgman’s middle school chess club, said the club can go from having two to 12 students play chess every week.

“This is our first tournament outside of our own district,” she said, adding that the club has been around for 10 years.

One of those players who started checking out the club was the youngest player at the tournament: River Reppart, who’s in the first grade.

Mom Kelly Reppart said that Rafe started wandering into the club meetings while his dad, who’s band director, had practices after school.

“He has to wait around for him, so he started going to chess club last year in kindergarten,” she said.

Rafe Siewert, who’s in sixth grade and part of New Buffalo’s middle school chess club, said he started playing chess with his uncle, who taught him the rules, as well as his dad.

“I think strategy is fun – and I think chess has a lot of strategy,” he said.

Brooke Henderson, a junior who’s on Bridgman’s high school team, said her uncle and dad also introduced her to chess.

“It’s a game that involves thinking and not just like a board game for fun - a lot of people take it seriously, which I like too,” she said.

The chess champs at the end of the tournament were first place, Finn Siewert; second place, Justus Rowland and the winner of the consolation round was Aydyn Seifert.

Finn, who’s a junior at New Buffalo, said he felt great about winning his first tournament but that it was “intense – I’m still shaking.”

He added that he’s been playing for as long as he can remember but competitively, he’s only been playing for a year.

“I just tried to trade off as much material as I could so I could understand the board better - to make it easier,” Finn said.