Some of the community’s most tactical minds arrived at the Curris Center Saturday to show off their skills and win the title of chess champion.

The Murray State Chess Club held its annual Chess Tournament Saturday.

The tournament saw many different types of players from all skill levels and ages. Elementary aged children got to compete alongside men and women who have been playing chess their entire lives.

Participants had an hour to play each opponent. The players were matched with each opponent by their level on their U.S. Chess Federation ID. The playing levels at the tournament were beginner, novice, amateur and those with high experience levels. 

In a game that is all about strategy and mental skill, Chess Club President Cannon Ferguson, freshman from Columbus, Ky., said tournaments like the one they hosted brings even the highest player’s skill to the next level.

“Throughout the entire tournament I feel like I improved a lot,” Ferguson said. “One of the main ways of improving yourself is by facing stronger opponents. I have a new way of playing chess now; I’ve taken a big step up from where I was before the tournament,”

The tournament was a success for the Chess Club, with a turn out of approximately 50 players. Every year the tournament sees chess players travel from all around the area to compete in the Curris Center. The score keepers this year traveled from Louisville, Ky.

The entry fee was $20 and all proceeds went to helping the Murray State Chess Club grow.

The club uses these proceeds to help put on another chess tournament in the spring that will be for Murray State students only.

The club also gives money to local elementary schools to help children interested in chess get the equipment to learn the game and gain a passion for it.

Every participant has a love for chess and goes to competitions to better themselves and share the experience with other chess players, said Ferguson.

Story by Taylor Inman, Staff writer