Groupthink

Participants from the Hillsboro elementary, middle and high schools focus on their matches on Saturday morning. Clockwise from the top photo) ? Sara Jones contemplates her next move against fellow HHS Guild member Ben Steketee. ? HES student Jordan Fryover (right) watches carefully as his opponent moves a pawn. ? HMS participant Jacob Humber preferred to fill his brain with music playing through his headset. ?Michael Christian from HHS studies his opponent?s move. Christian was the top finisher for Hillsboro in the high school division, placing sixth overall. Sixty-five students from 11 Kansas schools competed in Hillsboro?s first K-12 tournament.

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About 65 students from 11 Kansas schools participated in the first K-12 chess tournament hosted by Hillsboro High School Saturday.

Although attendance was down from an expected 120 participants due to inclement weather, 19 Hillsboro K-12 students competed against students from other Kansas schools including schools from Wichita, McPherson, Mulvane, Valley Center and Northfield.

?Every school tries to host a K-12 tournament each year as a member of the Kansas Scholastic Chess Association,? said Janet Whisenhunt, sponsor of the HHS Chess Guild. ?We were encouraged by our Activities Director, Max Heinrich, and administration to host a tournament this year.?

Four Hillsboro students placed in the top 20 individual winners. In the high school division, Michael Christian placed sixth and John Bartel placed 20th. In the elementary division, Grant Knoll placed second, and Jordan Fryhover fifth.

In the elementary division, team winners were: Canton-Galva first; Hillsboro second; and Purdy Chess Club third.

Middle school division team winners were: Valley Center, first; Robinson Middle School, second; and Northfield School, third.

High school division team winners were: Purdy Chess Club, first; Northeast Magnet of Wichita, second; Canton-Galva, third; and Hillsboro, fourth.