Chess is returning to Varnett, but it will have a new look.
The coronavirus pandemic has certainly forced some changes. Virtual chess is one option; socially distanced chess at school with students wearing masks is another. Both options may be utilized.
Nine Southwest campus students will begin after-school practice on Thursday, February 11, with a goal of achieving the same success as their Varnett predecessors. The announcement was made after meetings between Varnett Superintendent Dr. Margaret Stroud and Mr. Lonnie Reynolds, who has served as Varnett’s athletic director.
“We’re not going to let the pandemic slow us down,” Mr. Reynolds said.
Varnett will enter the season with impressive credentials. In April of 2019, Varnett finished in the top 10 in the National Junior High (K-9) Championship at the Gaylord Texas Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. The team, coached by Mr. Richard Burton, placed ninth out of 44 teams. Varnett also hosted a Houston area chess tournament and consistently finished impressively in tournaments throughout the city. Mr. Burton will return as coach this year.
“This is a good time to have chess because of the mentality of the kids,” Mr. Reynolds said. “There’s a need to stimulate the brain and chess does that. This promotes critical thinking and that’s good for our students.
Dr. Stroud said Varnett is also pursuing a return of its tennis program as a way to expand extra-curricular activities that were shut down by the pandemic. “There will be no contact and we will practice social distancing,” she said.
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