Ashburne Rumble 2015

My eldest son entered his first chess competition in November, the Ashburne Rumble in Northern Virginia sponsored by Silver Knights. He was nervous going in but had plenty of practice at home with family members.

Set up at home (with a borrowed clock, thanks Dave!)

He settled in to his assigned table and waited for his opponent.

Getting the board ready

During the match, mommy and sister were in the "skittles room," so named because they had plenty of snacks available for sale.

Sister enjoys some popcorn

He won his first game and was very happy with his performance. He had a bit of a wait until his next match up, so he hung out until he could check the boards to find his next opponent.

Reporting a victory

Relaxing with Plants Vs. Zombies

Checking for the next match

Waiting for the next match

The second match was tougher. He lost but was quite gracious about it. He was less than enthusiastic outside, where his sister enjoyed playing on the equipment.

Riding on a pony

Outdoor introspection

The next match was another exciting victory against a worthy opponent. It must have been exciting, because others were watching from the beginning!

Match #3

The final match had plenty of excitement. Players crowded in to see the final pairings for the day.

Looking for another challenger

The last game was the most challenging. My son was down to a king and a pawn against a king, rook, knight, and bishop. The other player was not able to get the checkmate, though, since my son maneuvered into a stalemate, resulting in a tie. He ended the day with 2.5 points, enough to come in thirteenth (out of forty-four players) in his division.

While they were waiting for results, he and mommy started a game of tag outside. Soon other children joined in and mommy opted out. It was good to get some exercise before the big award ceremony. There was no trophy for my son this time, but other tournaments are in the near future!