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 The 39th annual IHSA Chess Team State Tournament returns to Peoria on Friday and Saturday, February 8-9, for its 13th installment at the Civic Center.
A total of 137 teams from across the state are entered in this year’s competition, the largest field in tournament history. A chess team consists of eight players and up to four alternates, meaning that approximately 1,500 chess players and 200 coaches will play in Peoria this weekend.
"This is the largest team chess tournament in the country, and we think it may be the largest in the world," said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Scott Johnson. "People think of chess as an individual pursuit. Turning it into a team competition encourages players to help make their teammates better players and fosters a sense of camaraderie. They cheer for each other after a good win – or even a good draw.”
The first of seven championship rounds starts at 10 a.m. Friday and action continues until about 8 p.m. On Saturday the teams return to play at 9 a.m., with the awards ceremony unfolding around 5 p.m. In each round, the teams are paired off and 544 (137 / 2 × 8) chess games are played simultaneously. While you can hear a pin drop during the competition, the play can be incredibly intense, especially "inside the ropes," a special viewing area where the top 16 teams do battle. Last year’s championship was won by Niles North High School of Skokie, the only team to finish the tournament with seven wins and no losses. In this year's event, Whitney Young High School of Chicago is seeded number one.
The IHSA Chess Tournament is open to the public. Elementary and junior high school players who are interested in watching high school competition or meeting Grandmaster Shulman are especially welcome. The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) will hold its own state chess tournament in Bloomington in March.
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SITE
Peoria Civic Center (Peoria)
Directions
SCHEDULE
Friday, February 8
10:00 AM - Round 1
1:00 PM - Round 2
3:30 PM - Round 3
6:00 PM - Round 4
Saturday, February 9
9:00 AM - Round 5
Noon - Round 6
2:30 PM - Round 7
5:00 PM - Awards
ROSTERS & RESULTS
Rosters
Pairings
Results
Standings
INTERACT
Follow @IHSAState on Twitter (tag your tweets with #IHSA)
Video
Chat
TICKETS
No charge for entry
WATCH/LISTEN
No broadcasts are currently scheduled for this event
HISTORY & RECORDS
Record Book & Past Champions
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