Seven members of the Whitefield chess team competed this weekend in the Georgia Grade Level Chess Championship. In a field of 55 competitors in the third grade section, Efetobo Aror won four games out of five to finish in second place. Efe was undefeated going into the last round, but fell to the winner of the section who finished the day with a perfect score. Teammate Walker Paxton had three wins and a draw to take 11th place while newcomer Nathan Jones won three out of five to finish in 14th
place. Fellow third grader Christian Wiggins also garnered three wins, and the third grade contingent was rounded out by Trey
Kantor andArcher McBride. Graham Hood (2nd) completed the Whitefield team.
The experienced Whitefield K-3 chess team will compete again on January 19 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Chess Tournament hosted by the Georgia Chess Association at Whitefield Academy. Look for a strong performance from these young players as they move toward the state championship tournament in March.