T-Man joined the chess team this year. He played for several years at the elementary school and did not play his Freshman year of high school. During the chess season they would play a varsity team and a J.V. group. The J.V. group were individual kids that were not playing on the varsity team. T-Man mostly played in the J.V. category.
In January T-Man's high school chess team went to a large competitive chess tournament, Illini Classic. For this tournament they split the kids into two teams representing their high school, Team A and Team B. T-bone competed with Team-B as this team has lesser rating than Team A. Interestingly enough, and much to the chagrin of Team A, Team B earned second place in the tournament with Team A placing third. Team B members earned the metal in the box of T-Man's hand and the trophy in his other hand. T-Man got to keep the trophy from this tournament because all the other kids received a 2nd place in the league metal. T-Man did not get one because they only sent a certain number and coach was one short. So coach gave T-Man the trophy that Team B won. T-Man was more than pleased with this. He scored big time.
The kids had a very good season finishing 2nd place in their league. They headed to state (the same weekend Mimi and I were at her dance competition) and finished in a five-way tie for second place. The tie breaker procedures left them finishing in sixth place, the last members of the tie. This was still great considering that they compete against some large Chicago schools with longstanding winning traditions. The kids and coaches were also pleased that in state the beat IMSA, the Illinois Math and Science Academy School. Unfortunately one of T-Man's team's best players is going to IMSA in the fall so they are not too optimistic that they will beat this school next year.
The metal around T-Man's neck is the award the team received at state. He amassed some serious metal from this season's play and I think that will carry him into next year's season.
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