Nobody’s pawn: Beaufort Academy student takes home national chess trophy
Published Tue, Jan 6, 2009 12:00 AM
By KATE CERVE
Before 5-year-old Kevin Rogers left Lady’s Island for the U.S. Chess Federation’s 2008 National Scholastic K-12 Championship, he asked his dad what he wanted for Christmas.
A trophy would be nice, answered his father, Darrin Rogers.
So, that’s exactly what Kevin brought back.
The Beaufort Academy student placed 10th out of more than 60 other kindergartners at the national chess tournament, held in Florida last month. He won four of the seven games he played, and his final match lasted more than two hours, his father said.
Kevin has competed in about 10 chess tournaments since he began playing a year ago. He plays his father nearly every day and challenges his peers in the chess club at Beaufort Academy.
“He plays chess like other kids play Monopoly or checkers,” his father said.
Kevin said he plays “just ’cause it’s fun,” adding he likes chess even more than video games.
In April, he hopes to compete at the U.S. Chess Federation SuperNational tournament in Nashville, Tenn., against other nationally ranked youth. Darrin Rogers said his son is excited but not nervous.
“He’s more calm than I am,” Darrin Rogers said. “I’m up and down when he wins and loses. But he’s the coolest kid. You can’t tell whether he won or lost.”
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Good job kid!