1st Nashville Predators Chess Day
The inaugural Nashville Predators Chess Day may have been the first time the National Hockey League (NHL) and chess came together.This event was years in the making. The Nashville Chess Center (NCC) met with leaders of the Nashville Predators (Preds) organization a few years back to plan this awesome event only to have it canceled by the lockout between the players and the league. Once the league resolved their differences, the event was set for January 11, 2014 and back on in grand style!
The Preds made one of their lavish convention areas available to the chess tournament and after the games were finished, each student in the event received a ticket to that night’s hockey game along with all-you-can-eat food at the concession stands! Needless to say, every child in attendance was bubbling with excitement and hoping to see the Preds beat the Ottawa Senators.
The chess tournament was divided into four sections: K-3, K-6, K-9 and K-12. The older of the two groups had to be combined, because we only had three participants in each. That did not upset anyone, since the top three in each section not only took home a unique Preds chess trophy, but also an autographed hockey puck along with a certificate of authentication. Twelve of the Nashville Predators players were kind enough to sign the pucks for our chess winners.
Thirty-one young Preds fans participated in the K-3 Primary Section. Max Williams from Donaldson Christian Academy was the only one to turn in a perfect 5-0 score. Four players tied for 2nd place with 4 points: Middleton Henry and Alexander Wang from Harding Academy; as well as Owen Irving and Michael Kong of Julia Green Elementary.
Todd Andrews and Max Williams showing their Preds Pride!
Twenty-one players jumped into the K-6 Elementary Section. Tallent Brown of the Ensworth School plowed through the field to go 5-0. He picked Defensemen Roman Josi as his top choice of autographed pucks. Emilio Chen of St. Bernard’s Academy, Arya Jalem of the Montessori School and Roger Chen of Julia Green Elementary tied for 2nd place with 4/5.
As previously mentioned, the Jr. High and High School sections had to be combined due to a small turn out. Epiphany Peters, one of the top-ranked females in the country for her age, also turned in a perfect 5-0 result for clear first in the high school. Luke Weishaar took home second and Dhruv Chandra was third. In the Jr. High division, Josh Campbell of the Campbell Home School was first with Adam Johnson taking home second and Wei Dai of University School winning third. All participants in this group took home autographed pucks and trophies.
The Bridgestone Arena was one of the most amazing places to hold a chess tournament for the directors, parents and kids alike! The vibe walking in to this massive structure as pucks were being slapped around at the "morning skate" was electrifying. The "morning skate" is where both teams get a last warmup before that day’s game. Some lucky chess kids even took home souvenir pucks that got hit up into the stands, where they gleefully watched.
Just when the treats did not seem to get any better, the Nashville Predators mascot "Gnash" decided to show off his chess skills against the NCC’s own Tiffany Elliott. Tiffany acts as one of the NCC’s top instructors and as an assistant scholastic director.
A video of Gnash and Coach Tiffany competing at the end of the event
You would think a fun-filled day like this would have most students ready to collapse. However, there was still a hockey game to be played. As the final round of the tournament started, tournament director and NCC Director Todd Andrews told the participants: “You spend most of your day being told to be quiet by your teachers and your parents. Well, tonight you can be as loud as you want!”
They surely were as the game went into double overtime! It took a shootout for the Ottawa Senators to beat the Preds. Although they did not bring home the victory, it was still a memory that these Chesskids will not soon forget!
You do not have to be from Nashville to participate next season. We hope to see you all there for the second edition!
Gnash and Coach Tiffany
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