Burr School Captures Town Chess Championships

The Town of Fairfield Scholastic Chess Championships was held at the Mathnasium this past Wednesday, April 04, 2012. The tournament invited public and private schools to participate in this first ever event. The tournament was open to elementary school children from grades K–5 that attended schools in Fairfield or resided in Fairfield.

Registrants included students from the following schools in Fairfield, Trumbull, Westport, and Woodbridge attending the following schools: , , , , , , , , Ezra Academy, Greens Farm Academy, Middle Brook Elementary, and .

The tournament was held on neutral ground at the Mathnasium in the Center of Town. David Lubner, Director of Mathnasium of Fairfield said: “We are pleased to see such a high level of competition and we are proud to be associated and to support local chess. Congratulations to the winners and all the participants. We are looking forward to next year’s tournament” 

Opening comments were made by Selectman James Walsh, who was then invited to make the traditional opening move. The Selectman opted to play the conservative opening of moving his King's Pawn up two spaces. 

The tournament sought to identify the best individual chess player and the best chess team in Fairfield. Each team could send up to four players to represent their respective schools. After four exciting rounds the tournament champion Cole Markham from Burr Elementary School emerged as Fairfield’s Top Chess Player. Cole’s efforts contributed to his team rising to the ranks of number one and will enjoy the title of Best Elementary Chess Club in Fairfield.

Players earning the next three places were: Brent McCreesh, Greens  Farms
Academy; Christopher Brennan, St Thomas Aquinas School; and Eric Stein, Fairfield Country Day School. The second and third place teams were Riverfield Elementary School and St Thomas Aquinas School respectively.

Tournament Administrator, Bruce Swan, of Swan.e4 Chess Tournaments said, “it was a wonderful event. The cream of the best chess players in Fairfield came together on neutral ground and played together. Congratulations to the tournament winners; they are very strong competitors that are entitled to enjoy the bragging rights that come with being number one. We were very happy to partner with the Mathnasium of Fairfield and DJA Chess Instruction to organize this first time ever event.”

The has donated a winners trophy that will be used every year and remain on permanent display with the winning Team and First Place individual.

Proceeds of the tournament will be donated to TeamBrent, a local charity trying to eradicate childhood cancer through research and increasing awareness of childhood cancer.