Ray Kids Shine at Lafayette

Phillip Parker-Turner and Allen Dai turned in outstanding performances to lead the Ray School team today in a citywide chess tournament at Lafayette Elementary School.

Philip went 5.0/5.0—that’s five victories in five games—to finish first in the highly competitive intermediate category of the Youth Chess Foundation of Chicago. By besting all other intermediates the Ray third grader automatically moves into the foundation’s heady advanced division, where some of the best scholastic chess players in Chicago reside. Phillip will be one of the youngest members of that elite club, which includes kids up to eighth grade.

Allen’s 4.0/5.0 is remarkable considering he’s a first grader and today’s tournament was only his second as an intermediate. In last month’s Burbank School meet, Allen’s 3.0/5.0 fell just short of trophy qualification, so today’s record was sweet vindication and an indication that he may be joining Phillip in the upper echelon soon.

There were other milestones as well. George Vassilatos’s 3.0/5.0 was his best tournament performance to date, and first grader Kaytlyn James won her first tournament game.

Other Ray kids who played in the tournament: Michael Averill-Panelas, Jared Clark, Karen Dai, Lauren James, Grant Keller, and James Liu.

We’d be remiss not to mention that the team trophy for the beginner category went to our neighbors at the University of Chicago Laboratory School, impressive considering it was Lab's first YCFC tournament.

Congratulations, kids. Photos here.

Next up: the March 3 tournament—at Ray!