The 50th annual IHSA Team Chess State Tournament returns to the Peoria Civic Center on Friday and Saturday, February 9-10. A total of 128 teams from across the state are entered in this year’s competition. The field was narrowed down from a record 163 entries that played at sectional tournaments around the state on January 27.
The state chess tournament was the brainchild of Mike Zacate, a science teacher at Evergreen Park High School, who organized the annual event at his school from 1967 to 1974. The next year IHSA took over sponsorship of the tournament, which Zacate directed for another 35 years. He passed away in November at the age of 83 and will be honored at this year’s event.
A chess team consists of eight players and up to four alternates. Approximately 1,500 competitors and 250 coaches will be participate in the two-day event, which is believed to be the largest team chess competition in the United States.
"The largest team chess tournament in the world happens right here in Peoria," said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Dan Le. "People think of chess as an individual pursuit. Turning it into a team competition encourages players to help their teammates improve and fosters a sense of camaraderie. They cheer for each other after a good win – or even a good draw.”
The first of seven rounds starts at 10 am Friday and action continues until about 8 pm. On Saturday the teams return to play at 9 am, with the awards ceremony about 5 pm. In each round, the teams are paired off and 512 games of chess are played simultaneously. While you can hear a pin drop during the competition, the play can be intense, especially "inside the ropes," a special viewing area where the top teams play. Last year’s top seed is also the defending state champion, as Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire captured the the only team to finish the tournament with seven wins and no losses. This year's top seed is Stevenson.
The IHSA lost one of the pioneers of the tourney, Mike Zacate (pictured below), earlier this year. Read more about Mike's contributions here.
The IHSA Chess Tournament is open to the public. Elementary and junior high school players who are interested in watching high school competition are especially welcome. The Illinois Elementary School Association will hold its state chess tournament in the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom later in February.
