The Gazebo Gazette
PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) — The Pass Christian Public School District (PCPSD) held its 2nd Annual Gifted Chess Tournament on Friday, March 28, at the Randolph Center in Pass Christian. Students from all four district schools—Delisle Elementary School, Pass Christian Elementary School, Pass Christian Middle School, and Pass Christian High School—participated in this exciting competition, showcasing their strategic thinking and analytical skills.
Chess is an integral part of the PCPSD Gifted Program, as it requires advanced cognitive abilities, including visualization, calculation, strategy, and tactical awareness. In addition to being incorporated into the gifted curriculum, Pass Christian Middle School and Pass Christian High School both offer Chess Clubs for students interested in further developing their skills through peer competition.
Recognized for its ability to enhance concentration, pattern recognition, problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and critical thinking, chess also fosters camaraderie among students. The game’s universal appeal allows students across different grade levels to compete against each other, creating a unique and inclusive environment for intellectual growth.
The tournament was organized in collaboration with Jeff Bolhuis, a member of the Mississippi Scholastic Chess Association. District gifted teachers Sarah Badeaux, Jane Bunn, and Paula Lacoste, along with PCHS Chess Club Sponsor Ashley Ladner, ensured a well-structured and competitive experience for the 64 participating students.
Before the matches began, Bolhuis—affectionately known as “Mr. Jeff” by the students—provided a brief lesson on tournament protocol. The competition followed the Swiss Style Method of scoring, ensuring that all students had the opportunity to play in every round.
Students competed in three divisions: elementary, middle school, and high school. The event concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing the top competitors in each category:
Elementary Division (DES/PCES) – Gifted Teachers: Sarah Badeaux & Jane Bunn
- 1st Place: Sam Broome
- 2nd Place: Vincent Fontenot
- 3rd Place: Joshua Powell
Middle School Division (PCMS) – Gifted Teacher: Paula Lacoste
- 1st Place (Tie): Blake Holman & Logan Valdes
- 2nd Place: Avery Cooper
- 3rd Place: Elizabeth Collura
High School Division (PCHS) – Chess Club Sponsor: Ashley Ladner
- 1st Place: Adrian Rodriguez
- 2nd Place: Blaise Wood
- 3rd Place: Rylee Hindenberger
The success of this year’s tournament highlights the continued enthusiasm and dedication of both students and educators. With another year of thrilling competition behind them, participants and organizers alike are already looking forward to the 3rd Annual PCPSD Gifted Chess Tournament next spring.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Chess teaches foresight, by having to plan ahead; vigilance, by having to keep watch over the whole chessboard; caution, by having to restrain ourselves from making hasty moves; and finally, we learn from chess the greatest maxim in life—that even when everything seems to be going badly for us, we should not lose heart, but always hope for a change for the better, steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.”
(Contributed by Hunter Jones, PCPSD)
