COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Mark Twain Elementary School held its second annual chess tournament last Saturday.
The tournament featured 42 competitors and an abundance of family and friends to cheer them on and encourage them as they played.
The tournament came as the newest addition to a tradition that started about 20 years ago.
Kevin Coughlin, a teacher at Mark Twain Elementary, has been hosting tournaments like these around the district's elementary schools so that children can learn all the valuable lessons chess can teach us.
“We value this opportunity to give the families and students of District 11 the opportunity to come together and battle it out on the chessboard! Chess teaches so many great life skills,” said Coughlin. “Strategy and problem solving, planning and patience, and confidence and discipline are just some of the many great traits that chess can teach us!”
Several other schools including Trailblazer, Chipeta, and now Mark Twain, host chess tournaments for their students with the first seasonal tournament held by Ms. Gallup at Trailblazer Elementary.
The tournaments have a small entry fee of five dollars which is reinvested into water, snacks, pizza, and trophies for the children.
The chess group will have another end-of-year tournament in the Spring, hosted by Mr. Burkle at Chipeta Elementary.
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