The Inman Elementary Chess Club will start its own tournament in February.
The inaugural tournament is motivated by the club’s desire to give their growing membership and the community an additional venue for friendly competitions.
The club is one year old and has 89 members in grades 3-5. It currently competes in tournaments held in Clayton and Coweta counties.
While it will still continue to participate in those tournaments, the club members and club sponsor, Inman teacher Charlie Harper, hope that having a competition in the county will attract more students and community members to the game.
“We specifically want to hook more Fayette county students and citizens to this extraordinary game, as well as increase the number of local events for all chess players in the surrounding communities,” says Harper.
The one item the club needed in order to host tournaments was game clocks. Most cost between $25-40, depending on the model.
Thanks to a $1,000 donation from the Fayette County Kiwanis Club, and another $150 donation from an Inman Elementary family, Harper was able to purchase 25 chess game clocks to make the vision of a local tournament a reality.
The first Fayette County Chess Tournament is scheduled for Feb. 28. The club plans to invite fellow chess players from Clayton, Coweta, Henry and Spalding counties to attend the inaugural event.
Now in its second season, the Inman Elementary Chess Club has earned numerous medals from the regular open competitions they attend in Clayton and Coweta counties.
The club has gotten off to a great start this year, having competed in two tournaments, sweeping the beginner’s bracket in one and taking first place in the beginner’s bracket in the second.
