Matching Moves Children Celebrate Chess Master Bobby Fischer’s Birthday With Tournament

Feet tapped nervously and foreheads wrinkled intensely Saturday afternoon as dozens of children strained to match each others’ moves in a chess tournament at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Hai Phung, 12, needed three minutes to capture his opponent’s king in their championship match. Rather slow, considering the Madison Elementary sixth grader used only four moves to register the quickest of five victories on his way to the title for ages 10 to 12.

“I just move fast,” Phung said, explaining his winning strategy. “I don’t want to wait.”

More than 80 Spokane children signed up to test their moves in three divisions: 13-18, 10-12 and 9 and under. Trophies were awarded to first and second place winners.

The youngest competitor was four years old. Despite their youth, competitors were just as intense as 32-year-old world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

“You touched your queen,” 11-year-old Joel O’Bannan told his opponent. “Touch one piece and move it please.”

A couple of moves later, O’Bannan cunningly lured his adversary into checkmate even though most of the pieces were still on the board. It was O’Bannan’s third win in four tries.

“My dad’s pretty good at (chess), so he taught me,” he said.

The five-round tournament was a celebration of chess genius Bobby Fischer’s 53rd birthday.

Fischer won the United States chess championship in 1957. He went on to win or tie every match he played over the next four years and won the world chess championship in 1971.

Jessa Lowe, whose only loss of the day was at the hands of Phung in the finals, summed up the tournament’s popularity.

“It’s just a cool game.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo