It’s not everyday that high school students get to meet, learn from, and compete against a former professional player in their respective sport or activity. That rare opportunity arrived for the Brother Rice Chess Team on Monday, October 7, when Chess National Master Timothy Kras walked through the doors.
An Oak Lawn native who played Board 1 at Marist High School, Kras detailed his humble start as a freshman in 1971 through his earning of the National Master title in 1991 to encourage the burgeoning high school players to set their goals high. He then passed on his knowledge with lessons from his own competitive games where he fought back from the brink of despair with surprise tactics. Brother Rice students analyzed and solved one such position featuring a brilliant rook sacrifice immortalized in a 1993 publication by Grandmaster Andrew Soltis.
After the lesson, Kras played nine Brother Rice chess club members ranging from fledgling freshmen to skilled seniors in a simultaneous exhibition – meaning he played all of his opponents at once. Most people have a difficult enough time playing one game, and the feat undoubtedly showed the players what a National Master with decades of experience is capable of.
“It felt surreal,” said Crusader freshman Liam Dolan who played his first competitive match the next day. “I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to meet a chess master, it was an incredible experience.”
When asked what his biggest takeaway was, Dolan said, “Definitely the ‘sit on your hands’ lesson of not rushing, and it showed at the match against Marist when I blundered my queen.”
For Kras’s part, the self-described “amateur” with a love for the game appreciated the opportunity to support young players. “I feel that young chess players may be able to learn from experiences I have had at the chessboard,” he said. “I sincerely hope that students come to realize that they are capable of making great progress, not only during their time at Brother Rice, but even beyond that, with the caveat that a certain amount of discipline and training will be required.”
While they weren’t able to defeat a National Master, Brother Rice went on to defeat Marist 50-18 in their first team chess match of the season, with Liam Dolan earning a comeback victory on Board 6.
