The 10th and 12th grade Solon chess teams placed first overall at the Ohio Grade Level State Championships on Nov. 19 at Newark High School.

Tony Dunlap, advisor for the Solon chess team, has been teaching chess at Solon City Schools for almost seventeen years. A mentor to students of all grade levels, Dunlap has experienced major success during his time at Solon. However, Dunlap and his team have remained humble and unsatisfied.

“Winning any type of state [championship] isn’t easy,” Dunlap said. “Preparation and practice is the key to success.”

According to Dunlap, chess is a sport that builds character. Learning and practicing chess doesn’t just allow one to win tournaments or beat one’s opponents; Dunlap shared that the game can also help one grow intellectually overall.

“I see the benefit of knowing how to play the game,” Dunlap said. “If you play the game well you reinforce the necessary skills it takes to be successful in school and life.  Some of those skills are concentration, evaluation, problem solving and critical thinking.”

The 12th grade chess team was led by the president of the chess club, Ian Golias, who has been playing competitively for five years. Dunlap introduced Golias to the world of tournament chess when he was in 7th grade, and since, Golias has grown a unique love for the sport.

“Chess is a competition between two people on an equal playing field; it is a mental battle,” Golias said. “I love the atmosphere of a tournament where there are hundreds or thousands of people all brought together by their love of chess. I definitely think that chess is under-appreciated today.”

In preparation for the recent tournament, as well as matches in general, Golias has enriched himself with as much chess knowledge as he can. Whether it be lessons from his teachers, Dunlap and international master Atanas Kizov, or simply reading books, Golias uses whatever he can to gain the upper hand on his opponents.

“Every chess tournament I play in is a culmination of all the practice and studying I have done in the past,” Golias said. “Up until this point I have thousands of hours dedicated to chess tournament play, studying books, articles, famous games, and computer analysis… most of chess is self study but I have learned quite a lot from Mr. Dunlap, local masters and friends.”

Sophomore Neel Mehta has played chess since 5th grade and was a top three finisher in the 10th Grade Level tournament. Mehta was able to come up big for his team in a close finish to the tournament, but he remarked that the victory was a team effort.

“We all prepared and put in a lot of work practicing and playing in tournaments and in the club,” Mehta said. “Our success this year was due to all of our players contributing.”

As Dunlap stated, winning any sort of state-level championship is a major honor. But for Mehta and his team of underclassmen, this one was especially gratifying.

“Winning the championship was a great feeling because it was essentially undecided [un]til the last game,” Mehta said. “Our team pulled through with the win and we are all extremely satisfied and happy for our win.”

As this competition was one that restricted players to only playing with others in their own grade level, there is an even more expansive tournament on the horizon for underclassmen and upperclassmen alike. If this past tournament is any indication, the Solon team will be well prepared as they look to compete yet again for another state title.

“The Ohio High School State Championship is scheduled for April 29-30, 2017,” Dunlap said. “Solon has won that championship three years in a row and four out of the last five. I expect the current high school team to win that tournament again making 4 straight high school state championships.”