On Wednesday, May 13, Bishop Feehan hosted the finals for its first annual all-school chess tournament. The tournament consisted of 32 members of the school community, 29 students and 3 faculty members. It was held double-elimination style, and included both a winner’s bracket and a loser’s bracket. The finals came down to two students: sophomore Nick Franco, and senior Jack Harris. Ultimately, Nick was declared the winner.
Besides all the talented players who competed this year, the tournament’s organization team also boasts skill of its own. Most notably, junior Riya Kanury, who came up with the idea for the tournament, is a nationally ranked chess player, and is ranked by the international chess federation, FIDE. This year, Riya did not participate in the tournament, instead choosing to commentate during the livestream, an experience she described as very eye-opening, allowing her to see the “bigger picture” of the game. Riya has been playing chess from a very young age, entering tournaments before she even hit double digits. She was taught chess by her parents and grandparents, so it comes as no surprise that her favorite part of chess is the people. When asked, Riya said, “I’ve met so many people across the country through [chess]…it’s so sweet to have everyone supporting each other in that environment.” She hopes that in coming years, the tournament can reach even more members of the Feehan community, especially girls, who so often go unacknowledged in chess.
When asked about the tournament’s impact on Bishop Feehan as a whole, faculty moderator Mr. Harris stated that “it has been so great to see so many people in the school community show an interest in such a great game like chess. Not just those who entered the tournament, but also those who showed up to our events, found themselves playing during their free time, or even just talked about it with their friends. That is the reason we held this tournament in the first place!” The annual chess tournament at Feehan, in just its first year, has already made its mark as a great way to join the school community, and one that will be successful in all the coming years.
