Fall Scholastic Chess Tournament returns to Great Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NOVEMBER 15, 2010
CONTACT: JENN STARNES, 949-724-6574

Fall Scholastic Chess Tournament Returns to Great Park

American Chess Equipment teams with Park to host free tournament.

IRVINE – Parks are a great place to exercise, but at the Great Park you can give your brain a workout, too. Kids in grades K-12 are invited to come and play a stimulating intellectual game of chess while making new friends at the 2010 Staser Fall Scholastic Chess Tournament on Saturday, November 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration is free, and the tournament is hosted at the Orange County Great Park in partnership with American Chess Equipment.

The Annual Staser Chess Championship was created by Miley Staser, a senior citizen, to give students throughout the Southland an opportunity to meet over a chessboard, enhance their learning and life skills and make new friends. The free tournament is open to students of all skill levels in grades K-12.

The tournament has found a unique home at the Great Park, where students compete in historic Hangar 244. Players can also relax after a challenging game by taking a spin on the new Great Park Carousel or a ride in the Great Park Balloon.

“Chess strengthens confidence and improves communication, along with being a fun game for all to enjoy,” said Larry Agran, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation. “We’re pleased to see the Great Park emerging as a new chess venue for Orange County and Southern California.”

All players will be separated into sections by grade level, and will play against every person in their section during the course of the tournament. Medallions will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place players in each section of each grade. All players will receive a certificate of participation.

“Chess is an instructional aid that is part of the process of learning,” said Dewain Barber, American Chess Equipment. “Chess assists in memory, logic and analysis which are key components to the improvement of any student’s ability to think.”
Space is limited, and pre-registration (by 6 pm November 19) is highly recommended. For more information about the chess tournament, please visit www.ocgp.org or to register, contact Dewain Barber at (714) 998-5508, or via email at amchesseq@aol.com

About the Great Park

The Orange County Great Park, with its 1,347-acre master plan, is the focal point of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro. The Great Park is currently 27.5 acres and includes an iconic tethered helium balloon that rises 400 feet in the air, providing an aerial view of Park development. A $70 million development plan to expand the Park to more than 200 acres is currently underway. The plan will build out a core section of the Park for the most immediate and wide-ranging public benefit, including the initial components of the sports park, a 114-acre agricultural area, and an art and culture exhibition space. For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org

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