Prospect v. Elk Grove

I think that many high school players show up for chess club just because it seems to be a pleasant way to kill an afternoon. They know how the pieces move and they enjoy playing, but they are not really interested in delving into the subtler aspects of the game. On the stronger teams, such players fill in the lower boards. On others, they may make up most of the team.

I wish to say that I am a firm believer that all chess is good chess. If a player has no interest in learning chess theory and just wants to move the pieces, I will cast no stones. As my wife will tell you, I spend entirely too much time trying to master this silly game. I am happy to see players like Zach Kasiurak and Rishi Sethi of Barrington who share my addiction to the point where they have worked to become strong players, but I am happy to see players enjoy the game at whatever level brings them pleasure.

Moreover, it is not as far from playing purely for pleasure to being a solidly competitive team. Many anti-theory types have played enough chess to develop very respectable tactical skills. It only takes a couple of players getting interested in aquiring a little knowledge to infect a whole team. Prospect went from 0-10 to 5-6 to 8-2 mostly because one player got the bug and some newer players took their cue from him.

Elk Grove is a school that is still looking for that spark. Poor opening play put them so far in the hole that they never got the chance to demonstrate their tactical skills. Six of their boards never castled, and they all paid the price for it. One player castled when his king was already under attack and castling brought no relief. The only player who brought his king to safety by castling won his game. Here are some games from Prospect's 62-6 victory over Elk Grove: 1st Board; 2nd Board; 3rd Board; 4th Board; 5th Board; 6th Board; 7th Board.