San Benito chess team advances to state competition
SAN BENITO — San Benito High School’s chess team will move to the state competition in Dallas after defeating Brownsville’s traditional powerhouse teams to win the Region 8 Chess Tournament here Sunday.
Miller Jordan Middle School’s runner-up finish in the middle school competition and second- place finishes by Dr. Cash and Ed Downs elementary school teams show the depth of the district’s chess program, organizers said.
“It’s good to be playing at the championship level,” said Jack Garcia, director of the district’s After-School Program that helped mold the chess program into one of the state’s finest.
The high school’s Simon Vasquez, a junior, tied with James Ukoli of Brownsville-Hannah to win as the tournament’s top players.
The high school squad beat Hannah’s team by 2.5 points to win the tournament that drew about 1,400 players from about 100 high schools across the Rio Grande Valley.
High school Coach Eric Villarino said the team got a big boost from about six players who were part of the Veterans Memorial Academy squad that won the United States Chess Federation’s ninth-grade national championship in Orlando, Fla., in December 2010.
“This year we had this wave of sophomores who were part of the championship team who helped bolster our team,” Villarino said. “We have a lot of depth. That’s a big factor — when your team is well stocked.”
It’s the first time since 2010 that the district won the regional tournament, Villarino said.
“It’s a sport where they have to practice a lot of time to get better,” Villarino said. “The students take it seriously.”
San Benito’s emergence as a powerhouse has helped transform Region 8, said Victor Bailey, a chess coach who organized the tournament.
“Things are starting to change,” Bailey said. “Obviously, there’s been vast improvement over the last five years. Now they’re competing to win. Now they’re competing for the titles instead of just showing up for tournaments.”
Miller Jordan’s runner-up finish and second-place finishes by Dr. Cash and Ed Downs, which tied in the elementary school division, show the district’s overall depth, Bailey said.
“San Benito will definitely be a contender in the foreseeable future,” Bailey said.
Bailey cited the district’s coaches as a top factor behind its climb to the ranks of a regional powerhouse.
“They brought in better coaches. That’s No. 1, and they have dedicated parents who want to see their kids improve,” Bailey said.
Villarino credited the district’s After-School Program for driving the chess program’s success.
“The coaches make a big difference,” Garcia said. “It’s hard to get good qualified coaches at that level.”
With the victory, the high school team moves on to the state competition set for Feb. 18 and 19 in Dallas.
“We’d love to win first at state and it’s not that far-fetched,” Villarino said. “I think we have a good shot at it this year.”
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