One boy tucked an old chess medal in his pocket for luck. Another brought along his own board, just in case. Both had the same goal in mind: victory.

Armed with skills they've honed over months, or in some cases years of play, 16 boys spent Saturday exercising their brains in earnest, good-natured competition.

The first chess tournament sponsored by the Northfield School Dstrict's Community Services Division was open to youth in grades 1-8 who had participated in this fall's weekly after-school chess club sessions, or who had taken previous Grandmaster of Chess classes.

Participants gathered in the Northfield Middle School's media center and divided into three age groups for round-robin play. The matches between the youngest boys inched along at times, with players occasionally receiving guidance from Mary Hillmann, the event's volunteer coordinator.

The oldest boys in the tournament needed no such assistance, completing their matches with the speed and grace of seasoned players.

Christof Zweifel, 11, said he has played chess since first grade, when his dad got him started on the game.

"I like figuring out the different strategies," said Zweifel, now a sixth-grader at Northfield Middle School.

Another sixth-grader, Jackson Hillmann, said he was inspired to learn chess in second grade when his grandma gave him a chess game for the computer.

"It's a really good game to play, and it requires thinking," Hilllmann said. "I use the strategies I like the best, and I use what I learn from other guys."

Seventh-grader Jasper Egge said his dad encouraged him to learn chess five years ago.

"I like how no two games are exactly the same," he said.
 
Participants began and ended each match with a handshake. They received one point for each win and half a point for a draw. When the 2 1/2 hours of play ended, the players with the top three scores in each division received prizes. Every participant received a certificate.

The winners were:

Grades 5-7: First place—Jackson Hillmann; second place—Christof Zweifel; third place—Jasper Egge
Grades 3-4: First place—Henry Hutton; second place—Josh Grabau; third place—Elias Lawler

Grades 1-2: First place—Peter Hillmann and Nate Stevens, tie; second place—Collin Thomas-Green and Saxon Egge, tie; third place—Tavien Myers.

The next session of chess club for grades 1-5 begins in January, and registration begins in mid-December. For more information, visit www.nfldcommserv.org or call the Community Services enrichment coordinator at (507) 664-3648.