County chess club set to hold tournament
4/22/2008 11:20 PM   0 comments on this story E-mail this story to a friend

By RACHEL JOHNSON Staff writer
Don't be surprised to walk into the Stoplight Deli in Aiken on a Saturday afternoon and find the back half of the restaurant filled with patrons all sitting in silence, deep in thought.
Every other Saturday, the Aiken County Chess Club meets and enjoys sparring their skills, aiming to capture the king and announce proudly checkmate. The group which formed late last year is already making a difference in the chess community. The club's membership totals more than members and offers diverse levels of play all the way from beginners to masters. There is not an age requirement to join the club and currently the youngest member is 9.
According to club treasurer Bill Taylor, the chess club was formed in an attempt to increase the chess community in South Carolina. It is their goal to raise the number of tournaments in the state and to bring in younger players.
So far the club is off to a great start. This Saturday and Sunday, the Aiken County Chess Club will host the Lee Hyder Memorial Tournament, the club's first United States Chess Federation (USCF) sanctioned tournament at the Hotel Aiken.
The event honors the memory of Aiken resident, Dr. M. Lee Hyder, and his contributions to chess in South Carolina. He was a six-time state champion and a pillar of South Carolina's chess community. He served as editor of South Carolina Chess Associations newsletter for many years. Hyder became the first and only South Carolina resident to be elected to the United States Chess Federation Policy Board and served as national secretary. Additionally he served as a trustee of the U.S. Chess Trust for more than a decade. Hyder passed away on Nov. 3, 2003.
The Aiken County Chess Club invites the entire community to participate in this weekend's tournament either as a competitor or spectator. Anyone interested in competing in the tournament should contact the club immediately to be registered in the USCF.
Club president Kevin Kane expects approximately 30 to 40 competitors with several Masters and state champions in attendance. Kane along with other club members would like to see the tournament become an annual event.
Visit the club's website at http://aikenchess.org for contact information, tournament details and for upcoming meetings at the Stoplight Deli.
Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com

---

Share this story:

                           

• COPD: Breathe a little easier
• HPV: Every woman's concern
• FoodSchool 101: You really are what you eat
• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy : Cutting edge wound healing
• Visit AikenRegional.com

• Cook-Stimpson 10/4/2008 9:04 PM
  
• Hamm-Huff 10/4/2008 9:04 PM
  
• Landy-Adams 10/4/2008 9:04 PM
  
• Harris-Rivers 10/4/2008 9:09 PM
  
• Chandler-Glover 10/4/2008 9:24 PM
  

• Wedding announcement form
• Engagement announcement form

• Sudoku
• BlogSpotter
• coming soon! - More stuff just for fun!
• Snopes.com - urban legends laid bare

Cook-Stimpson

Ashley Elizabeth Stimpson of Columbia and Paul Gregory Cook of Columbia were married Aug. 2, 2008, in Rutledge Chapel at the University of South Carolina. The bride was given in marriage by her fath ...
10/4/2008 9:04 PM

• Wedding announcement form

• Bookings for Sept. 26 - Oct. 2 10/3/2008 7:46 PM
  
• Bookings for Sept. 19-25 9/26/2008 6:20 PM
  
• Bookings for Sept. 12-18 9/19/2008 4:21 PM
  
• Bookings for Sept. 5-11 9/12/2008 10:25 PM
  

• Bobbie Rae James Powell 10/6/2008 9:36 PM
  
• Naomi Corley Snyder 10/6/2008 9:36 PM
  
• Frances Sue Hardin Inabinet 10/6/2008 9:35 PM
  
• Ann Mitchell Bolt 10/6/2008 9:35 PM
  
• Beulah Dorris Pollard 10/6/2008 9:35 PM
  
• Henry Allison Botkins Sr. 10/6/2008 9:35 PM
  
• Leonard Jackson 10/5/2008 9:24 PM
  
• Katherine Hall 10/4/2008 8:39 PM
  
• Althea S. Fail 10/4/2008 8:39 PM
  
• Wilhemenia D. Blocker 10/4/2008 8:39 PM
  

• Births for Oct. 5   10/4/2008 9:30 PM
• Births for Sept. 28   9/27/2008 9:27 PM