Rocky Mountain High School’s last chess tournament of the school year will pit players Brodie Pierson, a sophomore, and Thomas Hines, a senior against one another in one final match. The tournament will take place in the Four Corners on May 9.
Thomas Hines says he is excited for the tournament. “Yeah, I’m excited. I’m still prepping, but I think I’ll win. This may be the hardest match of the year.” Thomas said he has been playing chess for a while, “I’ve been playing chess since elementary school. I remember I joined a middle school chess club and went to tournaments. I’ve been playing for over a decade.” Thomas also said his favorite part about playing chess is winning.
Brodie Pierson, sophomore at Rocky also said he is excited for the tournament. Brodie said, “I’ve been playing since about sixth grade, but I’ve been getting serious about Chess since Freshman year.” Brodie said chess gets competitive, “Very competitive, challenging your friends and wanting to do better than them.” His favorite part about playing is attacking positions because, “It gets stressful but fun.”
Both Thomas and Brodie agree that chess should be considered a sport. Thomas said, “I think it is a sport, it isn’t necessarily physical I guess more of a classical sport. You’re not really running into people but, its just a competitive game and people put a lot of effort into it.” Brodie said, “Yes, it takes a lot of mental strain and focus, It is competitive so I do think it should be a sport.”
If you are excited to see who will win this upcoming chess tournament, you can watch it Thursday May 9, in the Four Corners during lunch.
