It’s all about strategy

Article published Apr 8, 2007
Chasing Chess

Story By Jacque Hilburn

When chess players Clarissa Abella and Gabrielle Mercado stand beside their gleaming first place trophy, it’s not immediately clear who is taller, the girls or the award.

The beaming Rice Elementary first graders grabbed the glory during a recent chess tournament at the University of Texas in Dallas, but it wasn’t their first taste of victory.

At just 6, they’ve won many games within the past year, playing against older and more experienced opponents.

Both girls are among the youngest participants of All Saints Episcopal School’s chess club, an organization comprised of serious young players through the fifth grade and equally enthusiastic coaches.

For this pair, chess seems to be more than a game.

“I like playing chess because I like to use my brain and stretch it and make it smarter,” Clarissa said. “When my dad taught me, I thought it would be cool to learn how to play.”

Gabrielle is all about strategy.

“You have to checkmate the pieces. I think about what I want to move,” she said with a sly grin. “My dad taught me to play … he knows a lot.”

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