Othello High chess team takes fourth at mini state
Courtesy Photo - Left to right, members of the two Othello High teams at the mini state chess competition are Santiago Basurto, Isidro Larios, Gerardo Villacano, Anthony Rivera, Coach Robert Pruneda, Axel Rivera and Ulises Neponuceno
OTHELLO — The Othello B team finished fourth at the first chess state competition of the year (mini team state).
The Overlake Blizzard won the 18-team competition with a score of 13.0. The Seattle Prep A Sluggers an Othello B Dreadnoughts tied for third with 9.0, but Seattle Prep had a better tie-breaker, 43.5-33.
The tie-breaker is like a handicapping system in golf. When teams tie, the winner is determined by which team played higher-rated competition.
The competition was for teams of three players. The highest rated person on a team plays on board No. 1 against the highest rated player of the opposing team. Second highest rated players, and third highest players on each team face off on boards 2 and 3.
Othello had two teams competing, the A team and B team. The A team played tougher draws in the tourney and, as a result, placed 10th, just out of trophy contention.
The B team had a lighter draw and was able to outperform the A squad. Both teams had to qualify for the tourney by competing in Othello’s chess club tourney.
That involved 18 Othello players in a round robin tourney, with the highest six placers qualifying.
“The boys were focused this week and worked hard on opening and ending game,” coach Robert Pruneda said.
This is the second time Othello has placed fourth in the mini state tourney.