On January 2-5, The Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Championship was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Charlotte Chess Center, where 47 chess teams competed across the U1800 Division. Through hard work and dedication, the Shippensburg University chess team impressively earned fifth place in the competition.
Ship’s chess team members include captain Nathan Zeigler, Kevin Hemingway, Nicholas Effland, James Rhoads and coach Dave Kennedy, an associate professor in the mathematics department.
The tournament was the largest collegiate chess competition in the world and featured top teams from across the country. Ship is believed to have received the highest-ever finish for school in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
Shippensburg University remained undefeated in the six-round event, winning over Ohio State, UMass Amherst, and UNC-Chapel Hill, along with three ties.
Teamwork played a crucial role in Ship’s success. Team captain Nathan Zeigler highlighted the amount of preparation that went into getting ready for the tournament and the importance of maintaining trust among teammates.
“I would say communication is key,” Zeigler said. “We can’t talk to each other during the games, but we can talk beforehand. Chess is one of the last true meritocracies, so I would tell my teammates and myself that it’s truly about trying our best and trusting each other. Other than that, Dr. Kennedy and I coordinated the teams and made sure everyone was at the right place at the right time.”
As the tournament progressed, the team had the potential to earn the winning title. One determining match had an unexpected turnaround, with players needing to recover from several difficult matches to secure a tie.
As the round continued, Rhoads won on board four, Effland lost on board three, and Hemingway drew on board one. Zeigler took on the final game. After nearly four hours, he was in the winning position. However, one error ended up costing him the victory, and the game ended in a draw. The team tied the match and dropped to 3.5 points out of 5, making their odds of earning first place unlikely. Nonetheless, the team still had a strong chance of finishing high in the ranks.
“Kevin was our rock. Dependable,” Zeigler said. “Although I didn’t lose a game, I had easier opponents, so it’s not nearly as impressive. If it wasn’t for Kevin, we wouldn’t have had a good event at all.”
Zeigler had a strong performance, scoring 4.5 out of 6 and gaining rating points.“We only finished half a point behind first place. Ultimately, the team finished only half a point behind first place.
The tournament was not just a competition nor was it all about winning. It was a testament to the years of preparation and the Ship chess team’s love for the game. “The tournament doesn’t start when the first round starts. It starts when you decide to work on chess and improve as a player,” Zeigler said. When Zeigler first started college, his official national rating was 1007, placing him near the 50th percentile of tournament players. Now, as a senior, he ranks at 1996, placing him in the 95th percentile.
“Anyone can get good at this game,” Zeigler said. “All it takes is a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work.”
To learn more about Ship’s chess team and how to get involved, click here.
