7th-Grader Wins LAUSD Chess Tourney

Jeffrey Payumo attributes his talent at chess to his ability to visualize. “You have to think ahead and plan,” he said.

On Saturday, he visualized himself as the champion of all Los Angeles Unified School District middle schools, and then made it happen.

“There were a couple of tough people,” Jeffrey said. But he added, “I had a lot of fun today.”

Jeffrey, a seventh-grader from White Middle School in Carson, was one of 27 middle school students gathered at Van Nuys High School trying to outmaneuver each other during a five-hour tournament sponsored by the school district.

Jeffrey beat his friend and fellow student, Butch Paredes, in a playoff round to win first place.

“It went pretty quickly because we were both nervous,” Jeffrey said. “But we’re used to it because we play together all the time.”

The annual competition, which was reinstated this year after a four-year absence due to budget cuts, brought together students of little experience with those who could be considered experts, said Doug Coleman, LAUSD sports coordinator.

Players had 40 minutes to finish off their opponents during each of five rounds. Each game counted as one point. And if there was a tie, experts chose the winner. The player with the most points became champion.

“Most of them were pretty intense,” Coleman said. “They were very focused. You could hear a pin drop, which is very unusual for middle school students.”

Although it was very competitive, Coleman said the players bonded during their 10-minute breaks between rounds.

“There was great camaraderie,” Coleman said. “They made friends pretty quickly.”

The top three winners were given awards, and all students received certificates of participation, Coleman said.

Jeffrey, who started playing when he was 6 years old and has an hourlong chess lesson every week, said the best thing about playing chess is that “it makes you think.”