Legend says that chess was invented around 200 B.C. by a commander, Hán Xin, who invented the game to represent a particular battle, and is sometimes called the Game of Kings ….

Forks Middle and High School students participated in their first chess tournament on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at Centralia College at the 2023 Southwest Washington Scholastic Chess Championships. A total of 210 chess players from 93 different schools participated in this regional qualifier tournament.

Forks Middle School chess advisor, Megan Klebe, led five middle schoolers to 4th place in the team tournament. Students Cash Tjepkema, Hayden Vallejo, Justin Sandoval, Abraham Rivas-Pagan, and Conner Roberts scored 10.5 points as a team. The middle school students have been practicing in their Chess Enrichment Class. In order to participate in the tournament, the students had to learn how to write standard chess notation.

Eight Forks High School students also competed in the team tournament and earned a 6th Place Award. As a result, the Forks High School team qualified to compete at the Washington State Scholastic Chess Championship on March 3 and 4 at Stanwood High School.

Forks High School students (pictured left to right) are: Colby Barker, Alvaro Martin-Mendoza, Gunner Rogers, Zayne Kelly, Nova Raupp, Julia Raupp, Skye Hestand and (not pictured) Mateo Gaspar. Selvin Lopez Santos was the team manager. Submitted photos