Washington State Elementary Champions

Twenty years ago, the Washington State Elementary Chess Championship attract 400 players from across the state. They competed in two section, K-3 and 4-6. Ten years ago, the number of participants exceeded 1,100 for the first time. Steady growth had pushed the numbers over 80 by 2001, and it continued to grow throught the next several years, peaking in 2008 with 1,4141 players in seven sections.

The 2003 Championship at St. Joseph Middle School in Kennewick was the first year for the current structure of grade level sections. This change in the structure was approved after long discussion in 2002. The event took on more of a chess festival atmosphere in 2007 when the Friday Bughouse and I Love Chess Too side events were added. In 2008, Hikaru Nakamura gave a simultaneous exhibition during the tournament. NW Designs printer shirts to order for the first time that year.

Beginning in 2010, the Washington State Middle School Championship was held the same weekend in a nearby location. This year the MS event moved into the same facility for the first time.

Tournament Policies have also changed. In 2001, the tournament policies consisted of a single page of text. A short coaches meeting between rounds selected the location for the event the following year. In 2004, the WSECC Policy Board was created with tournament policies running five pages. The locations for both the 2005 and 2006 events were determined that year. Now, each year’s coaches meetings selects the location two years hence.

Spokane put in a bid to host the 2005 tournament, losing by one vote. One of Spokane’s coaches declared after the event that “the event will be in Spokane in 2009,” and it was. 2015 is the second time the event is held in the Spokane Convention Center, on April 25. In 2016, the event returned to the Tacoma Convention Center.