Twenty of the states top chess players will sweat over their next moves at the Washington State Chess Tournament, held on back-to-back weekends beginning Feb. 11 at the University of Washington, Tacoma.
The tournament dates back to the 1800s, and the current method of tournament play, a round-robin style, has been used since the 1920s.
Women may participate in the tournament, but this years tournament is comprised of only men, who range in age from 16, to some in their 60s. Several former champions will participate this year, including three-time champion Seattleite Slava Mikhailiouk, who will seek to win his 4th consecutive title.
The first two rounds take place on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11 and 12, beginning at 10 a.m. in UWTs Dougan Building, Room 210. Finals will follow on President?s Day weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Feb. 18-20. An individual game lasts between two and five hours.
The event is free and open to the public. Because maintaining a quiet environment is critical to the tournament, the event is not recommended for young children.
For further information, call Betty Perry at (253) 692-4676 or Pitre at (206) 543-4240.
