
This is the first of the chess tournaments for the 2023-2024 school year
Leah Anaya
For Clark County Today
Students in Southwest Washington who play chess will now have an opportunity to compete in Clark County rather than traveling to another area. On Saturday, Oct. 14, starting at 8 a.m., Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center (FPHRC) will host “The Opening” Qualifier Chess Tournament in a family-friendly event.
Students will play five rounds, and there will be playoffs should a tie occur. This is the first of the chess tournaments for the 2023-2024 school year. The tournament is open to all students aged elementary through high school, whether they’re public, private, or homeschooled.
Tom Snyder, the FPHRC chess rep, pointed to the advantage of students who play chess, specifically face-to-face rather than online, which became more popular during the pandemic lockdown.
“Research has clearly shown a connection between students who play chess and their improved performance in math, science, and English,” Snyder said. “Kids who play chess show improvements in logical and sequential thinking. Even with the explosive growth of internet chess programs like chess.com, schools are seeing increased numbers of students who want to play traditional face-to-face chess.”
Snyder said he expects 200-250 people to attend.
FPHRC is located at 14001 SE 1st Street in Vancouver. Games will be held in the main theater-sized auditorium and in the Mathematics Department classrooms. Food will be available for families to purchase.
Registration can be completed on chessreg.com for $30 per player by 10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12.

Also read:
- GoFundMe Spotlight: Vancouver man raising money to buy warm clothing for the homelessVancouver resident Cameron Murray is raising money through GoFundMe to purchase jackets and socks for the homeless, inspired by the life and struggles of his late brother Shelby.
- Residents encouraged to reduce holiday waste by recycling natural Christmas treesClark County residents have multiple options to recycle natural Christmas trees after the holidays, helping reduce landfill waste and create reusable mulch.
- County Elections Office closed Dec. 24-25The Clark County Elections Office will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 and will reopen Dec. 26 with regular business hours.
- Opinion: The unpreferred and unaffordable Interstate Bridge replacement proposalRep. John Ley argues that the Interstate Bridge Replacement proposal is unpreferred, unaffordable, and failing to address congestion, cost transparency, and community concerns.
- POLL: If project costs continue to rise, what should lawmakers do with the I-5 Bridge replacement plan?This poll asks readers what lawmakers should do with the I-5 Bridge replacement plan as costs rise and key decisions remain unresolved.
- Clark County mourns loss of hometown hero and humanitarian Greg BiffleClark County is mourning Greg Biffle, the Camas High School graduate and NASCAR champion remembered not only for his racing career but for his humanitarian work and disaster relief efforts.
- Opinion: IBR still holding and lying about coming billions in cost overrunsJoe Cortright argues that Interstate Bridge Replacement officials are deliberately delaying the release of an updated cost estimate that he says could push the project toward $10 billion.








