3:08 PM, Jul. 12, 2011
Brian Johnston might not seem to be your typical teen. He thinks chess is exciting and he's making an eight-year commitment to the U.S. Marine Reserves.
But an incredibly successful year of chess led to him being named the 2011 Regional All-star Chess Team's Player of the Year.
Johnston went 12-0 playing on board one for Greece Arcadia, helping lead the Titans to a league title. He then went 5-0 in the team playoffs as Arcadia finished seventh, and he finished sixth in the individual championships. Just for good measure, he and fellow Arcadia senior Adam Shepard teamed up to win the high school team title in Bughouse chess, a fast-paced, two-person team variation.
"I was really surprised," Johnston said, reflecting on the news he'd been named Player of the Year. "I knew I was pretty good, but I thought there were a lot of others who were just as good or better."
Still, with nearly 20 interscholastic wins this year, no one matched his win total. That number included one of his top highlights: a victory in the final game of the regular season to earn Arcadia the league title.
As for the excitement, Johnston says it's simple. "I find chess exciting because you don't know what your opponent is thinking. You never play the same game twice; it's always new."
Besides, adds Johnson, "It's a competition and I'm very competitive. I like spending time like that."
For Coach of the Year Ryan Horst, competition is secondary. For him, it's about involvement and thinking.
"Any kid can get involved," said Horst. "If you eliminate the stereotypes and get everyone in the room and learn the right way, it's a fun thing to see."
Horst, whose Victor squad was the largest in the area, played chess for fun as a kid before getting away from it. But a unique encounter with a student while teaching in the Bronx helped rekindle his interest.
"This kid was really motivated and it opened my eyes that it's more than just moving pieces," said Horst.
After helping Clyde-Savannah begin playing interscholastically, Horst moved on to Victor where he has implemented a ground-breaking new curriculum: offering chess as an actual course.
"When I first proposed the idea, Victor was looking at different classes. I wanted something that was not an intense class, like an AP, but something less intense. It's not solely chess — it's math and chess. But I presented research that showed how chess improves brain skills. I wanted a class where the students have to think."
The program, still in its early stages, has proven to be a success. Pulling players from those academic classes, Victor not only succeeded with its first team, it also fielded a second team during the regular season that finished second in the league. The Blue Devils then sent four squads to the team playoffs and had nearly a dozen players participate in the individual championships.
Horst's teams also put players on both the first and second regional all-star teams, including the first female so recognized, junior Paola Rigo.
Still there's more to do. Horst hopes to get more players to the Rochester Chess Center to play rated games, travel to tournaments and ultimately, earn some chess scholarships, plus develop his own game.
"If I'm going to get better, I have to work at it," said Horst. "If I'm studying as a teacher, shouldn't they be doing the same as a student?"
Developing better chess players, but more importantly better thinkers and better problem-solvers is already in the works: Victor's chess classes for next year are already filled up.
For Johnston, who was quick to offer accolades to his teammates and his coach, Bryan Claus, chess also figures into the future. While his opportunities to play chess might be a little limited while in the Marines, he hopes to play while studying at MCC in preparation for a career in criminal justice.
The complete team
Player of the Year: Brian Johnston, senior, Greece Arcadia. Perfect record in the regular season and team playoffs. Favors the Sicilian Defense when playing black, King Pawn opening when playing white. Accepted into the Delayed Entry Program for the U.S. Marines. Likes video games. Looking to begin studying criminal justice at MCC after initial Marine training is complete. Logan Kokx, senior, Webster Thomas. Very good 6-3-1 record in regular season led Thomas to league title, then a fifth-place finish at regionals. Often plays King Pawn to open. Played varsity soccer. Involved with jazz band. Member of National Honor Society. Winner of Outstanding Academic Achievement in Science Award. Headed to Binghamton to major in physics. Enjoys physics, poker and soccer.
Bowranigan (Bo) Tharmalingam, senior, Brighton. Repeat first-team selection. Opens with Queen's Gambit or Sicilian Dragon. Went 12-0 in regular season, helping win the league title and finished fourth at the individuals. Has 3.93 GPA. Involved with math club and track. A National Merit Commended Scholar and AP Scholar. Will major in biology at Cornell. Enjoys running, swimming and soccer (particularly Manchester United).
Carmelo Guglielmino, junior, Victor. Went 12-0 in regular season play and helped Victor to league title and sixth-place finish at team playoffs. Favorite opening move: Sicilian Dragon. Winner of Victor Leadership Award. Involved with rowing team. Holds 90 academic average. Chess instructor for intermediate school in Victor. Interests include history, philosophy, art and theology.
Webster Kehoe, sixth, Wilson Foundation Academy. Played top board for regional champion. Solid 6-4-1 regular season record. Won the individual playoffs. Favors King Pawn opening. Involved with basketball and soccer. Honor roll student and class vice president. Hobbies include reading, coin collecting, writing and an interest in all sports.
Coach of the Year
Ryan Horst, Victor. Lives in Farmington with wife and two children. Degrees from Stony Brook and Mercy College. Creator of "Math in Chess" course for high school students, considered the only course of its kind in the country. Also coaches football and track for Red Jacket, where he won 2006 Finger Lakes West Football Coach of the Year. Hobbies include fishing, golf and basketball.
Second team
George Liu, senior, Pittsford Sutherland; Paola Rigo, junior, Victor; Nolan Henrie, freshman, Wilson Magnet High School; Gabe Rodriguez, eighth grade, Albion Middle School; and Connor Wagner, sixth grade, Wilson Foundation Academy.
— Scott Kroner
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