
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:
- Rep. John Ley supports C-TRAN Bus Rapid Transit to save Washington moneyRep. John Ley praised C-TRAN’s new BRT line as a faster, lower-cost alternative to light rail, urging support for transit options that save taxpayers money and improve service.
- C-TRAN, WSU Vancouver celebrates groundbreaking for The Vine on Highway 99C-TRAN and WSU Vancouver broke ground on the Vine’s Highway 99 route, a 9-mile bus rapid transit line connecting the university to downtown Vancouver and the Waterfront, set to open in 2027.
- Letter: The Charterist III — Concerning the powers of the Legislative BranchJohn Jay continues his Charterist series, arguing that Clark County’s legislative branch is structurally weak and lacks the resources to balance the executive, calling for reform in the next charter review.
- C-TRAN board again postpones vote on light rail operations and maintenance costsThe C-TRAN board again postponed a vote on language regarding operations and maintenance costs tied to light rail expansion, with pending lawsuits involving Michelle Belkot continuing to impact board actions.
- Opinion: ‘Today’s Democratic Party is not our father’s Democratic Party’Editor Ken Vance reflects on how today’s Democratic Party diverges from the values he associates with his father’s generation, citing issues like taxation, gender policies, and shifting ideology in Washington state politics.
- Opinion: ‘The Interstate Bridge project lacks billions in funding from both Oregon and Washington’Lars Larson criticizes Oregon’s funding decisions, highlighting the billions missing from both states for the Interstate Bridge replacement project and calling it a dead-end effort lacking Coast Guard approval.
- Court rules against Save Vancouver Streets A judge has ruled against Save Vancouver Streets in its legal effort to place a street-use initiative on the ballot. The group is considering whether to appeal.