Rainbow Chess Club wins first place at Bishop’s Bash

Tournament director Dr. Gerald Lawson congratulates Madison students who won individual awards at the Bishop’s Bash Chess Tournament. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – The Rainbow Elementary School Chess Club continued its strong winning season by reaching first place in the elementary section at the Bishop’s Bash Chess Tournament.

More than 140 students entered the tournament in Hampton Cove on March 1. Rainbow had the highest team score that the tournament director had ever seen, parent volunteer Ranae Bartlett said.

Team members are Boone Ramsey, Michael Guthrie, Hayden Billmann, Mercedes Zich, Jonah Tuttle, Jenson Wilhelm, Will Bao, Maanasi Limaye, Sulekha Ramesh, Bella Victory-Fox, Erin Kueck, Alex Edwards, Edward Calinsky, Steven Lockwood, Leah Lessmann, Lucy Ramsey, and Nacer Harris.

In individual awards, Boone Ramsey earned first place with a perfect score of 5 points. Michael Guthrie took third place with 4.5 points.

Other place winners were Hayden Billmann, fourth place, 4 points; Mercedes Zich, seventh, 4 points; Jonah Tuttle, eighth, 4 points; Jenson Wilhelm, ninth, 4 points; and Will Bao, 11th place with 3.5 points.

In the primary section, the team of Constance Wang, Jonathan Yang, Madeline Edwards, Ethan Kueck, Ben Lessmann, Anousha Raman, Rachael Ehrman, Zachary Calinsky and Corinne Wilhelm came in second place.

Individual awards went to Constance Wang, eighth place with 4 points and Jonathan Yang, ninth, 3.5 points.

Students in fourth through sixth grade in Madison City Schools grabbed seven places in the top ten individual awards for the elementary section.

These students are Boone Ramsey, first, Rainbow; Om Badhe, second, Mill Creek Elementary School; Michael Guthrie, third, Rainbow; Hayden Billmann, fourth, Rainbow; Mercedes Zich, seventh, Rainbow; Jonah Tuttle, eighth, Rainbow; and Jenson Wilhelm, ninth, Rainbow.

Rainbow will compete at the State Scholastic Chess Championship in Montevallo on March 15-16.