CC Student Wins TAMIU President's Scholarship at Chess Championship

In a battle fought with weapons of strategy and logic, David Lozano from Calallen High School, Corpus Christi, emerged victorious and claimed his prize, Texas A&M International University's $4,000 President's Chess Scholarship at the United Chess Region VII Scholastic Chess Championship.

Held on Saturday, February 14 at Alexander High School, the event attracted over 200 participants from Laredo and the surrounding region, including Corpus Christi, Robstown, Alice, Kingsville, Edinburgh, and Harlingen.

Individual winners in other categories include Ruben Castillo from Martin High School, Laredo, who received Laredo Community College's $1,000 President's Chess Scholarship. Avinash Viswanath, from Alexander High School, won the high school section championship.

In the middle school section, two other local players, Carlos Ortíz, Lamar Middle, and Abiram Viswanath, United Middle School, both from Laredo, became co-champions. In the elementary section, Ryan Kuffel, Luther Jones Elementary, Corpus Christi, became the champion. In the primary section Dylan Smith, St. James, Corpus Christi, became the champion.

Alexander High School, host of the event, won the first place high school team championship. Other school teams winning from Laredo include: Nixon High School, fourth place, Lamar Bruni Vergara Middle School, third place; Clark Middle fourth place; and Cigarroa Middle, fifth place. In the elementary team section Amparo Gutiérrez Elementary secured third place and United Day School fourth.

Santa María Elementary, playing for the first time, won fifth place in the primary team section.

"I can't believe this," said Rebecca Hughes, teacher sponsor from Santa María, "We were practicing after school."

In addition to the scholarships and team trophies, over 130 individual trophies and several door prizes were distributed.

Lakshmana Viswanath, organizer of the event and director of Computer and Telecommunication Services at TAMIU, said Laredo should expect more chess events in the future.

"United Chess plans to give more scholarships, financial support for local players to participate in out-of-town tournaments and such," he said, "I am proud to bring the regionals to Laredo and pleased that locals are benefiting from it."

For more information, please contact Viswanath at 717-8384 or vis@consultant.com.