Story contributed by Breck Haining.
Three Seattle Chess Club members, Kyle and Karen Haining and Vikram Ramasamy, played in the National Junior High Chess Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, the last weekend of April 2015. In the National K-9 Bughouse Championship tournament Kyle and Vikram teamed up and won 3rd place. Karen and a boy from Detroit teamed up and won 24th place. 42 teams competed in the bughouse tournament. In the National K-9 Blitz Championship tournament Kyle won 1st place and Vikram tied for 8th place and won 15th place on tie breaks. 181 students competed in the blitz tournament. In the National K-9 Chess Championship tournament, Kyle won 5th place in the K-9 Championship section, Vikram tied for 20th place and won 24th place on tie breaks in the K-8 Championship section, and Karen tied for 5th place and won 13th place on tie breaks in the K-9 Under 1250 section.
Over 900 players from across the nation participated in the chess championship tournament. 140 students competed in the K-9 Championship section. Of these, at least five were National Masters, and another eight had expert ratings. 216 students competed in the K-8 Championship section. Of these, at least four were National Masters, and 15 more had expert ratings.
159 students competed in the K-9 Under 1250 section. 169 students competed in the K-8 Under 1000 section. 183 students competed in the K-8 Under 750 section. 50 students competed in the K-9 Unrated section.
Additional details about the National Junior High School Chess Championships may be found at: http://www.uschess.org/tournaments/2015/jhs/.
