"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Sequoyah to Host First Chess Tournament

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA – Sequoyah School will host the first Cherokee Open Chess Tournament on Saturday, September 23, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. The tournament is for school-age children who are interested in playing chess. It is an unrated event, but United States Chess Federation (USCF) rated players are welcome to play.

“The big thing is to get the students involved and get them to start playing chess,” said Mae Dean Erb, chess instructor. “Chess develops problem-solving and cognitive skills, concentration and commitment.”

Sequoyah introduced the game of chess to high school students in their math classes three years ago thanks to a grant from the Eagle Scholars Program and the United States Department of Education Office of Indian Education. Sequoyah has continued to maintain a chess club as part of the gifted and talented program due to student demand. This is the first tournament that the Sequoyah students have hosted in their home facility.

“The students are excited,” Erb said. “We are hoping for a great turn-out from many schools in the surrounding areas.”

The tournament will use Swiss System pairings, meaning that all players will play all five games, and will be school team sensitive, but players may register as individuals as well. Students can compete in three sections; section one for grades kindergarten through fourth grade, section two for fifth and sixth grades, and section three for grades seven through 12. Tournament organizers will present awards in each section. First place winners will receive an annual membership in the USCF and the ability to play in nationally rated tournaments. Second place winners will receive an USCF regulation tournament chess board and chess piece set. All players earning more than three points will receive medals and the first place team will receive trophies. The tournament is sponsored by Eagle Scholars and Sequoyah School.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the first round of play staring at 9 a.m. The tournament is expected to wrap up by 3 p.m. with the awards assembly to follow.

The tournament entry fee is $5 if postmarked by Monday, September 18. Late entry fee is $10 and will be accepted the day of the tournament. Checks should be made payable to the American Indian Resource Center and mailed to 328 E. Downing, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, 74464.

For more information or to receive an official registration form contact Mae Dean Erb, phone: 918-456-5581 or 918-773-8414 or by e-mail: mderb@earthink.net or Elvina Thompson, phone: 918-453-5400 or by e-mail: enez@cherokee.org The registration form can also be downloaded from the Oklahoma Scholastic Chess Organization (OSCO Cherokee Open PDF file).

Sequoyah School, a boarding school for Native American students, originated in 1871 as an orphan asylum to take care of many orphans who came out of the Civil War. It has since served as the Sequoyah Orphan Training School and the Sequoyah Vocational School. Now, it is known as Sequoyah School, named for Sequoyah, a scholar who developed the Cherokee syllabary. In November 1985, the Cherokee Nation resumed the operation of SHS. It is regionally and state accredited for grades 7-12 and has become the school of choice for more than 400 students every year. From its humble beginning as a school with one building and 40 acres of land, SHS has grown into a modern institution covering more than 90 acres with a dozen major buildings nested on a beautiful campus five miles southwest of Tahlequah, Okla. For more information about Sequoyah call 918-453-5400 and/or visit Sequoyah School online.