2012 National Elementary Championship - Day 3 - By Chloe Wong

Today is our last day. I woke up early again to eat breakfast and found my dad had already gotten breakfast. Of course he made me take a shower before I ate, even though my mouth was watering with the smell of it. Thanks dad! I quickly wolfed down breakfast and headed to the 6th round. After I finished, I finished packing my stuff. Then we checked out and put our stuff away in the car so we could leave right after the last round. Unfortunately, it was raining and we had to hurry to the car out of fear of being soaked. Did you know that it can be raining, but still be sunny outside? We ate lunch and then went for a walk around the Garden Conservatory to see the wonderful greenery and small waterfalls. The waterfalls were rushing out water and some even had fish in them! As I went into the 7th round, I felt nervous because I didn’t want to lose my last round because I set a goal to win 3 out of 7 rounds. I also felt happy because I was wearing my new, awesome cowboy hat! When my partner arrived she was wearing a hat too! It was kind of funny! After I finished my round, we were on the road again! We came to a dead stop in highway congestion because of a multi-vehicle accident for TWO HOURS!!! Conveniently for some people, there was a Porte-Potty that was for the construction workers! We finally reached good ole Wisconsin at 3:00 am! I had to go to school 3 hours later so I got 3 hours of sleep plus about 4 hours in the car. Well that’s it! The competition was a bit tough, but if you know what you’re doing and you’re 100% sure, you’ll be okay. It was fun because I got to see downtown Nashville and experience country music and its artists. It was a great experience because you got to get a feeling of what the Nationals were like. I think that going to Nashville was a great experience AND a lot of fun!

At the Garden Conservatory

Last round.  Waiting for my opponent...

Stuck in traffic on the way back

2012 National Elementary Championship - Day 2 - By Chloe Wong

Today, we woke up at 8:00 to get breakfast. Then, I went to my 3rd round and played chess. Next, we went to the Grand Ole Opry and went on a backstage tour to see where all the stars enter and get ready to sing and play at the Grand Ole Opry. Then we went back to the hotel to play the 4th round. Afterwards, I took a nap and went to have dinner and we got stuck in a highway congestion on the way back. I went to play the 5th round and afterwards, I got a BIG surprise! My dad took me to the Grand Ole Opry to watch one of the shows with, Brad Paisley, Jimmy Dickens, Bobby Osborne, and Carrie Underwood!  It was fun and exciting because you got to see some of the biggest country stars preform live!

Dad and I at the Grand Ole Opry Backstage Tour after Round 3

Ready for Round 4

Watching Carrie Underwood performing live at the Grand Ole Opry!

Overall Day 2 Wisconsin Results

Round 3: Won 19, Tie 3, Lost 20
Round 3: Won 17, Tie 3, Lost 22
Round 3: Won 20, Tie 3, Lost 19

Images from Day 2

Alex Klahorst - currently 10 in K6 unrated.

Aaron Williams - now with 4pts in K3U800

.... and the impressive trophy display.

The Werth boys (Nat and Joshua) from Sheboygan Christian at nationals.

Goodrich News

From Debra Zender:

Day 2: Overall, a better day for Goodrich than yesterday. We had two players win all of their games. A few of us are still getting lost in the massive hotel. The boys discovered the arcade.

From the kids:
We love the arcade but our coach got mad that we were in there instead of practicing chess. Tomorrow we will win all of our games. (we hope).

2012 National Elementary Championship - Day 1 - By Chloe Wong

Before the 1st match started, my dad and I went to have breakfast inside the hotel. The Gaylord Opryland hotel has many places to eat inside the hotel. After that, we walked around the humongous hotel and admired the waterfalls, green plants, and the plain vastness of everything! There are many shops to browse in and buy things to remember your visit to Tennessee. Finally, 1:00 rolled around and when I stepped inside the tournament room I was blown away. The board numbers went well into the thousands! After I finished my 1st round, my dad and I drove into downtown Nashville to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. It was so much fun! You got to learn about a lot of the famous country singers (especially taylor swift), see the Golden Records, and see which singers have made it into the country music hall of fame. We went back to the hotel and had dinner. Then we skedaddled back to the tournament room so I could beat the pants off my next opponent!

In the Garden Conservatory - this place is so huge!

First round

Visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame - Posing in front of my favorite artist!

In front of the Country Music Hall of Fame

2012 National Elementary Championship - Day 0 – By Chloe Wong

When we drove down to Tennessee, I was nervous, excited, sad, and happy at the same time. I was sad because I was leaving my mom and brother behind in Wisconsin, happy because I got to get a break from school, excited and nervous for the nationals. My dad and I drove 10 hours to get to Tennessee. It was long and a little bit long. Yet, I was entertained by homework and the scenery whizzing past my window. Personally, I think driving down is more memorable than flying because you get to see other cities, maybe drive through them and experience what they have to offer, and you don’t have to wait in long security lines to get on a plane flight for a couple of hours. When we reached Tennessee at 11:00, I was very tired and ready to crash on a bed! It is my 1st year in the Nationals and I was ready to crush my opponents! 

Passing Chicago - Just getting started...

Giant windmills in Indiana.

Passing Indianapolis.  Halfway there.

Crossing in Kentucky - We are close!

Overal Wisconsin Results from Day 1.

Round 1: Won 15, Tie 2, Lost 25
Round 2: Won 26 Tie 0, Lost 16

Nicely turned around!

Foutain Display in Opryland

The last few seconds of the colorful fountain display!

Reflections over dinner.....

From Debra Zender from conversations over dinner:

What the kids liked best: The hotel, the pool, All the kids think it's quieter than other tournaments, more competition, and like staying in a hotel with all of your team mates.

Parent comments: Chess brings our family together since we spend so many weekends together. This is a family bonding experience for the weekend. It is great for the kids, whether they win or lose.

Round 2. 7pm Friday

The 'Big Hall'

Josh Williams heading for a point in round 2.

Naisha Bepar wining her second round match in the K3 Championship

First round in Nashville. Alex Hogg (top) and Leah Laeuger (bottom) in the first round. All results and pairings can be found at here.

Breakdown by Section

We have Wisconsin students in all sections - here is the breakdown with total number of entries in parenthesis.

K-1 Championship    3    (295)

K-3 Championship    1    (265)

K-3 U800                7     (376)

K-3 Unrated             2     (73)

K-5 Championship    3    (281)

K-5 U900                10   (376)

K-6 Championship   4     (207)

K-6 U1000             6      (270)

K6 Unrated             6      (75)

WI Schools represented in Nashville

Here is a list of Wisconsin schools represented and the number of students from each school (according to the USCF website).

3 Burleigh Elementary School                   Brookfield          

2 Swanson Elementary                             Brookfield          

1 Wisconsin Hills Middle School               Brookfield          

2 Homeschool                                          Cambridge         

1 Maple Dale School                                Fox Point            

1 County Line Elementary                         Germantown    

1 Donges Bay                                           Mequon

1 Lakeshore MS                                       Mequon             

7 Goodrich                                                Milwaukee        

1 Milwaukee School Of Languages           Milwaukee        

1 Orchard Lane Elementary School           New Berlin         

4 Elmwood Elementary                              New Berlin         

1 Ronald Reagan Elementary                      New Berlin         

7 Poplar Creek Elementary School             New Berlin         

4 Glen Park Elementary                              New Berlin         

2 Sheboygan Christian School                     Sheboygan        

1 Waukesha Stem Academy                                Waukesha

Nashville here we come....

We have created this blog to initially provide a record of our experiences at the United States Chess Federation Elementary National Championships in Nashville Tennessee, from both a parent and student perspective. There are currently 42 Wisconsin students, from 17 different schools, signed up for the tournament.  We will posting photos and comments during the Championships. For those of you making the journey - have a safe trip on Thursday!