IESA Headlines

2016 IESA Chess State Tournament

Over 550 students representing 54 member schools of the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) will compete in the sixth annual IESA Chess State Tournament at the Peoria Civic Center on February 26-27. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the IESA website at: http://www.iesa.org/activities/participants.asp?activitycode=CHS

New to the IESA chess competition last year was year was the addition of a 6th grade division. There are now three divisions---6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade. A school can enter from 1-7 individual in each division. The tournament will be conducted in an Individual/Team Swiss System format. Students with varying degrees of experience will be participating.

The first round on Friday is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Round two will not begin before 12:30 p.m.; the third round will not begin before 2:30 p.m.; and the fourth round will not begin before 4:30 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, round five will begin at 9:00 a.m.; round six not before 11:15 a.m.; and round seven not before 2:00 p.m. Students will compete in all seven rounds at the tournament.

There will be an awards ceremony after the conclusion of round seven at approximately 3:45 p.m. Individual and team awards for all three divisions will be distributed.

The complete tournament schedule can be found at http://www.iesa.org/activities/chs/IESA-CHS_Schedule.pdf

Additional tournament information, plus the FanZone can be found at www.iesa.org. Click on the Chess line at the top of the IESA website home page.

Should weather become a factor, the IESA website will contain up-to-date information regarding the tournament playing schedule. Go to www.iesa.org.

Normal Chiddix captured the 6th grade and 8th grade team titles last year while Bloomington Evans took home first place honors in the 7th grade division.

Admission is free to the event but fans are not allowed in the competition rooms while play s going on.

For more information, please contact IESA Associate Executive Director and Chess Administrator, Leslie Alappattu at leslie@iesa.org.