Tuttle, Zhu win places in state chess tourney

Jonah Tuttle won first place in the Under 800 section at the Fall State Chess Tournament at the University of Alabama. (CONTRIBUTED)

Timothy Zhu won a fifth-place medal in the Under 1200 section at the Fall State Chess Tournament at the University of Alabama. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Jonah Tuttle and Timothy Zhu won awards at the Fall State Chess Tournament at the University of Alabama on Sept. 27.

“The Fall State Chess Tournament focuses on crowning the Alabama adult champion but also held a scholastic (K-12) event,” Madison City Chess League Director Ranae Bartlett said.

In the Under 800 section, Rainbow Elementary School student Jonah Tuttle won first place. In the Under 1200 section, Columbia Elementary School student Timothy Zhu won a fifth-place medal.

Twelve Madison students competed in the scholastic event, ranging from kindergarten to seventh grade. Bill Nash, Rainbow competition chess coach, served as tournament director.

“The fall tournament is a great warm up for the entire chess season that culminates in the State Scholastic Championship in March 2015,” Bartlett said. The championship will be held at the Alabama School for Math and Science in Mobile.

Chess tournaments held locally almost every month will lead up to the state championship. “The next one, the Queen’s Quest, is in Madison at Columbia on Nov. 22,” Bartlett said.

Registration materials are available at madisoncitychessleague.weebly.com in the “Upcoming Tournaments” section.