FC's Schexnaydre atop chess rankings

One of Franklin County’s elite chess players has become the highest active rated player in Mississippi after a seven-round tournament played recently in Dallas, Texas.

Benson Schexnaydre won four and a half of the seven games he played during the Southwest Class Championships, and has a rating of 2018.

“It’s a sign of how far chess players from Franklin County can go,” Dr. Jeff Bulington, Franklin Chess Center director, said of Schexnaydre’s rating.

“He’s now the highest rated player I’ve ever coached because of that performance, and that’s an example for others that I hope they follow.

“But, in many ways, it’s just one of the signposts along the way saying ‘this is where we’ve made it so far’ — but it’s an important one.

“I think it’s important to hit those marks every so often. But one thing you don’t want (as a chess player or coach) is to be overly obsessed with ratings, because then every single up and down can turn into a bigger deal than it needs to be.

“Check in every year or so and see how much you’ve grown. Ratings are good long-term indicators, but fixating on them is a bad way to go. Doing it too much actually gets in the way of your progress.”

Bulington also noted how important the opportunity to travel and play others from different states and countries is to growing as a chess player.

“Above all else, I attribute his success to his hard work. But I would also stress the ability to travel outside of Mississippi,” he said.

“Because when you’re the highest-rated player or one of the highest-rated players in the state, there’s nobody around much more to sort of see more than you see, so you have to travel. So it’s not surprising that (his rating rose) in Dallas, because it’s there they really get a sense or whether or not you’re better.

“With travel, playing better players, playing with a diversity of players with all kinds of different ideas and backgrounds — and just more people seeing each other — it becomes more of a complex dialogue that way.

“That matters enormously. But, it’s good that we know that somebody who really works hard at it and has the proper opportunities … they can do as well as anybody anywhere.”

While in Dallas for the tournament, Schexnaydre was also able to play a couple of informal games with a member of the University of Texas Chess Team.

“When we got there, we first met the UT Dallas chess team,” he said.

“They have one of the best chess teams in the country. We watched them play and I got to play one of their players. It was two quick games; it wasn’t like a tournament or anything. I drew him in the first one then I lost the second one.”

Of the seven games he played at the tournament, Schexnaydre said he lost two and one was a draw.

“I didn’t really start off with an expectation, but after I got into the fifth round I kind of really wanted to win the tournament,” he said.

“So, the sixth round I was (playing as the black pieces) and as black you go second so usually white’s the one pushing for the win. I wasn’t too upset with losing the sixth game, but the seventh round lasted from 4:30 to 10, and I was white and had reached a winning position and I still lost that game.

“If I had won that game I would have gotten second place, so it was kind of tough to lose that one.”

The latest accolades for Schexnaydre, a member of Franklin County High School’s sophomore class, come on the heels of his claiming first-place honors and the Mississippi Chess Association’s state championship for competitors — regardless of age — this past October.

In addition, the local high school chess team, which included Schexnaydre, Parker Wilkinson, Gabriel Griffin and James Ham, won the MCA team championships held on Saturday, Jan. 22 and Sunday, Jan. 23 at Roosevelt State Park in Scott County

Other members of the high school squad included Ethan Coleman, A’Niyah Bee and Drew Berryhill.

The Franklin Chess Center, headquartered on Main Street in downtown Meadville, seeks to improve analytical thinking and academic achievement in its participants.

The local chess initiative, which is privately funded, has received state, regional and national recognition and accolades for its work with young people from throughout the area.