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By Bill Thompson
The 2nd Annual ICA Chess Challenge Championship was a competitive event that highlighted the best qualities of our students at the Innovative Concept Academy, including sportsmanship, respect, and above all, courage. Twenty-two students participated in the event. Although most of the students were introduced to the game just months ago, the tournament was still quite competitive and had the atmosphere of a true championship, with upsets, comebacks and dramatic finishes.
The tournament consisted of five rounds, each played with a clock allowing a maximum of 30 minutes per game. Many games went down to the final minutes, and after three hours of competitive chess, which can be quite intense, all of the students had earned the right to be proud of their accomplishments. Students participating in this event had progressed from a point of simply learning how each of the pieces moved, to learning how to make purposeful plans, coordinating attacks and defenses, and showing extreme patience and self control in the face of adversity.
This year’s Supreme Court Division winner epitomized the qualities necessary of a champion. The young lady champion suffered a stunning upset in the second round, as her opponent demonstrated extreme resilience by fighting off a fearsome attack on his king and then mounting a successful attack of his own to gain the victory. The young lady is legendary at the ICA for her attacking style and ability to use all of her pieces in creative ways to checkmate her opponents; even some of the experienced staff at the ICA had fallen victim to her prowess. This loss visibly upset her, as she was clearly one of the favorites going into the tournament, but she rebounded in her very next game with a victory over another top contender in round three. Her opponent in that round was one of the few students at the ICA to garner a coveted “chess dog tag” for a victory over an experienced ICA staff member.
While the young lady was regaining her form, one young man was clearly establishing his presence, methodically moving through the tournament as the only undefeated competitor after the first four rounds. The final game pitted the undefeated young man against the pre-tournament favorite, and the game was fitting of a championship match. In the end, the attacking style of the creative champion proved to be too much. The young lady confidently demonstrated her skills, checkmating the previously unbeaten contender in style. She had proven herself to be a true champion, demonstrating not only talent at chess, but also resilience in the face of adversity.
The tournament was filled with similar success stories, including the young man who pulled the stunning upset in the second round and went on to garner a trophy for his impressive first-time tournament performance. A standout performance was turned in by another young lady who garnered the first-place trophy in the Appellate Division for her stellar four-point performance. Her point total equaled that of the two who had played for the championship. This young lady was a beacon of the values of courage and positive thinking, overcoming a first-round loss to secure four successive victories on her way to her first-place finish in her division. Overall, nine students earned trophies, and 22 medals were awarded to students for remarkable demonstration of courage, respect and sportsmanship.
The Innovative Concept Academy, commonly known as Judge Jimmie Edwards’ school, because of his devotion and almost single-handed effort at coordinating multiple sources of support, is a true beacon and symbol of hope in Saint Louis. Judge Edwards established chess at the school as one of the cornerstones for students to learn not only the game of chess, but also to challenge themselves in ways that broaden their horizons. Through his programs, students learn self-respect and confidence. The 2nd Annual ICA Chess Challenge, established by Judge Edwards, was a true reflection of the positive impact on students through his efforts.
