The Hilltop - Sports
Issue:
11/21/03
Chess Team Blazes New
Trail
By Zachary Kenworthy
"We knew that we would have
done well," explained President of the Chess Club Travis Hoskins about the East
Coast Amateur Chess Club Championships, "But we exceeded our own expectations.
We have set ourselves a standard for the rest of the year and the upcoming
tournaments."
This past weekend in Baltimore, The Howard University Chess
Club continued to blaze a trail and a new legacy for Chess. In all, the Howard
team played in 20 matches and won 17, lost 2 and drew one.
Furthermore, of
the two losses that Howard recorded, one was between teammates Errol Daniels and
Darius Lyles in a head-to-head match-up. Hoskins, who took part in the under
1800 rated section, waltz his way to a record of 4 wins and 1 draw as he laid
claim to the championship and the top spot in his field of 33 players.
"He
smashed his way through that tournament," explained coordinator and mentor
Vaughn Bennett who has been working with the club for some time, "I think we are
going to do really well over the next few months."
For Howard, Hoskins was
not the only one who garnered some silverware. Emmanuel London, who participated
in the under 1300 rated section, also claimed the top spot from a field of 18 as
he went 5-0. The team's newest members Errol Daniels and Darius Lyles, who both
competed in the under 1300 section, also tied for second in their field.
At
the Mecca, the Chess club is an avenue through which the university can
accumulate even greater reach across all boundaries.
"What we are taking
part in here is history," said Bennett.
Howard is training player is the
ancient African tradition of chess in hopes of adding a second African American
name to the list of 600 world grandmasters.
Bennett helps coordinate many of
the competitive trips that Howard makes and also pointed out that the
competition has only just begun. He expects the team to perform creditably at
this month's National Chess Congress over the Thanksgiving weekend in
Philadelphia, a tournament that has developed over the past 30 years.
For
the Howard team, after such a successful weekend in Baltimore, the future looks
bright and the outlook for Philadelphia is one of excitement.
"Baltimore
taught me to stay calm," said Hoskins. "I had to patient all the way through. I
think once we keep working the way we have we are going to be successful from
here on in."
Howard's success as a chess club is inherent to their
development and the sport's development in general. Sadly, this year has marked
the first time that African Americans have been invited to the 155th Annual US
Championships. The tournament, which has been described as the equivalent to the
Master's in Golf, invites the country's top 56 players and just last year they
invited women for the first time.
"We definitely want to break down some
barriers. There is a lot racism in this sport still," said Hoskins.
Barriers
exist and as the chess club continues to blaze a trail, so too does their focus
and drive as individuals. It will be Howard who looks to break those barriers as
the sport embellishes itself as a true force on campus.