Place | Points | Team Name | Texas Rank ( 1997 State Tourney ) |
1st | 19.5 | Sharpstown Middle | 3 |
2nd | 19.0 | Lanier Middle | 1 |
3rd | 17.0 | Stafford Middle | did not attend |
4th | 16.5 | Bammel Middle | did not attend |
5th | 15.5 | Hartmann Middle | 6 |
6th | 14.5 | Space Center Intermediate | 4 |
7th | 9.5 | Albright Middle | 15 |
Player Name | Points | Place |
Matt Tirey | 4.5 / 5 | 2nd |
Chris Tilotta | 4.0 / 5 | 2nd |
Matt Griesmeyer | 4.0 / 5 | 2nd |
George Dginchvelashveli | 4.0 / 5 | 2nd |
Bammel's Team got off to a strong start at our first tournament of the season. The team travelled to MacArthur High School in Aldine for a round-robin tournament. Bammel had 18 players; 10 vetereans and 8 newcomers. The team played strong with ALL 10 VETERAN PLAYERS WINNING TROPHIES!!! We are off to a great start!!!
The team finished with 26 of a possible 28 points to come in behind Lanier Middle School; the 2 time stae champs and current #3 team in the USA, with 27.5 points. Second place went to Sharpstown Middle School; the #3 team in Texas, with 26.5 points to edge Bammel by 1/2 of a point. Keep up the great work!!!!!
Special Notes: Ronalyn Dantes and George Dginchvelashveli deserve special recognition for fighting back from each losing their first two games to win the last 3 and finish in the trophies! Matt Tirey rebounded from 3 consecutive defeats and scored a 2nd place trophy! Chris Tilotta went undefeated and untied while Jose Matos and Vishal Marocha had no defeats!
Bammel's top player from last year, Chris Tilotta, picked up where he left off at the school year's end. Chris captured 5.5 out of 7 points to win first place in the Klein Scholastics held on August 23 at Klein High School. We are all looking forward to a great year and this was a super way to start. Good job Chris!!
Bammel's top two players, along with one of their coaches, competed in the TCA Texas State Amateur Championships over the Memorial Day Weekend in San Antonio, Texas. So far, this was the biggest tournament that any Bammel players or coaches have been involved with. The tournament consisted of six rounds played over three days. Matches that routinely lasted 3 or more hours were something new to us, but we adjusted well. Bammel's two students fared well winning 2 points each, while their coach, Mr. Lancaster, had a rougher time losing all of his matches and gathering only one point on a bye.
Our players learned a huge amount as the weekend progressed. Some of the younger players included the current Texas High School champion Steven Grubbs and one of the top-rated players in the state and former Texas Middle School champion David John.
On May 24th, Bammel's team competed in the Klein Spring Scholastic at Klein High School. The tournament featured two divisions; a rated division for USCF members and an unrated division for Non-USCF members. Bammel had three players finish in the top six in the unrated division and finished second overall behind Kleb Intermediate.
Bammel traveled to The Village School on May 10th for a four-player team competition. There were only three teams with us for this event, but it was one of the most fun. Players of all skill levels were mixed together to form the teams, and you never knew who you might go against. This was fun because we got to play some very strong players that are not usually in our division. Our three teams placed well with two fourth place finishes and a second place finish. Another highlight was our first ever ALL GIRL TEAM made up of three Bammel players and one player from Fonville Middle School.
We had a great time. The next stop is the Klein Scholastic on May 24th.
The Bammel Chess Club travelled to Willowridge High School on Saturday, April 12, 1997 for an event put on by the Houston Chess Association. The team faced some tougher opponents this time due to our strong finishes as of late. As the players found out, when you win a lot you end up playing tougher opponents the next time! Everyone was ready though, and we came out fighting. Our players posted their best ever first-round. The opening round has been a real killer for us lately, but our tournament experience is beginning to show and the nerves are not so bad. Everyone on the team scored at least one point on the day!
Bammel fought to its best-ever team point total and its best team finish in the short, 7-month existence of the club. The team totals were as follows (as you can see, we are in some elite company):
1st- (20 points) Lanier Middle School, 1996 & 1997 Texas State Champions / 1997 3rd place at SuperNationals
2nd- (15 points) Bammel Middle School
2nd- (15 points) Space Center Intermediate, 1997 Texas State 4th place team
3rd- (13 points) Albright Middle School, 1997 Texas State 15th place team
THIS IS THE THIRD EVENT IN A ROW WHERE BAMMEL HAS PLACED AMONG THE TOP SCHOOLS. WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU ALL! KEEP UP THE GOOD PLAY!!
The chess club traveled to its second tournament in two weeks on Saturday, March 8. Only three members went to the Woodlands Scholastic Championships ( a full team consists of 4 players ). Chris Tilotta, Chris Alexander, and Chuck Barry all competed in the Middle School Division. The competetion was fierce, the toughest our players have faced all year, with the likes of Lanier Middle School preparing for the upcoming state tournament. Our boys played tough and won the third place team award for their efforts. Lanier once again dominated the tournament with 16 1/2 points. Space Center Middle School came in second with 10 points and Bammel rounded out the top three with 4 points.
This was the first USCF ( United States Chess Federation ) tournament for Bammel. In USCF events, all of the middle-schoolers are lumped into one big section. Our players were competing for 10 trophies against 45 others. The competition was stiff, and we learned some great moves along the way. We know that Bammel will be one of the schools preparing for state next season.
We would like to wish the best of luck to Lanier Middle School in their quest for a second straight state title.
Tournament Results
Chris Alexander - 1 point
Chuck Barry - 1 point
Bammel's Chess Club competed in the HCA Chess Tournament at Sharpstown Middle School on March 1, 1997. Seventeen players traveled to the tournament, leaving at 7:30 in the morning and arriving home at 5:30 in the evening. The team did an outstanding job at the event. Everyone was focused and played sharp chess. The players represented Bammel with outstanding class and sportsmanship. We are proud of them all.
Tournament Results