This fall, Pierrepont School’s chess program enters its third year. Over the past two years our chess team made phenomenal progress, winning championships on the county, state, and regional level. Highlights from last year include first place victories in the K-8 Fairfield County Championships, the K-8 Connecticut State Championships, and the New England Scholastic Championships.

In May of 2009, the team traveled to Tennessee to compete in the “Super Nationals.” This tournament combined Elementary, Junior High, and High School national championships and included hundreds of teams from all over the country. In each of the three sections in which we competed, Pierrepont placed in the top group, as high as 4th place in the K-8 U1000 section.  These are impressive results by any standard, and we congratulate our team members on their fine play.

Although we have enjoyed success at tournaments, it is our students’ cooperative rather than competitive spirit that distinguishes chess at Pierrepont. In addition to the chess team, Pierrepont also has a vibrant chess club component. The chess club is for students who love the game but are not necessarily interested in competing in tournaments.

We encourage all of our chess students to analyze and share insights with one another, to articulate their intuitions, and to participate in reasoned discussions and debate. It is perhaps this discipline of elevating their impulses and intuitions to the level of conscious, scientific analysis that is most impressive about our students.

As we enter our third year, we will expand the program by participating in matches against other top schools. In addition, we aim to invite speakers who represent a diverse range of perspectives on the game, from top junior competitors to older Soviet chess masters. As coach Liam O’Rourke commented after his first “World Open” chess tournament, “Chess is uniquely remarkable in its ability to bring together people of every background.  It is a truly universal game.”

Faculty:

Daniel Lowinger
B.A., Philosophy, Amherst College
USCF Chess Master

Liam O' Rourke
B.A., Theatre & Dance, Amherst College