Bapst chess places 3rd in nationals Team competed against 1,400 high school players in three-day event

BANGOR – Members of the Maine State Championship Chess Team from John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor competed in the 2005 super National Scholastic Chess Championship held April 6-19 in Nashville, Tenn.

Team members were freshman Fritz Eyerer, Newburgh; sophomores Murray Bridges, Amherst, and Zachary LaPierre, Milford; juniors Benjamin Amaral, Carmel; Joshua Andrews, Levant; Colin Campbell and Conor Campbell, Orrington; David Jones, Orrington; Raymond Solinger, Eddington; Kevin Townsend, Orono; and Jordan Trundy, Clifton; and seniors Brian Rand, Orrington; and Joseph Lawlor, Holden.

More than 5,200 chess players from all over the United States attended the competition, with more than 1,400 in the high school division alone. Players competed in six two-hour matches over a three-day period.

Co-coach Kurt Klappenbach praised the John Bapst team members. “Their performances were simply outstanding,” he said. “As can well be imagined, this was a truly grueling event. The pressure was extremely intense and maintaining that level of concentration for that period of time was very difficult. They not only played extremely well but also conducted themselves in a professional and upbeat manner.”

In the competition, Josh Andrews placed 24th in the Under 900 Division by winning five of six matches. Kevin Townsend tied for 25th place in the Championship Division, winning five of six matches and defeating many higher ranked players in the process. Colin Campbell placed ninth in the Under 1200 Division, winning all six of his matches.

The John Bapst Under 1200 team, composed of Bridges, Campbell, LaPierre and Trundy, placed third in the nation, finishing only .5 points behind the first-placed Bayside Academy, a private school in Daphe, Ala., which has five chess coaches on its staff, and second-placed Porter High School, a school of more than 2,100 students in Brownsville, Texas.