La Center chess team earns trophy

La Center — The La Center High School chess team finished 10th out of 28 teams competing in the Washington State Chess Team Championship, held March 3-4 in Issaquah. The top 12 teams earned a trophy, and it’s the school’s first chess trophy. The team first went to the state competition in 2014, finishing last out of 26 competing teams. Two years ago, the team finished in a tie for 13th place, and the team didn’t compete last season. The closest league is in Portland, so the team competed in and won its division of the Oregon High School Chess Association’s Portland League. Coach Timm DiStefano said three of his five varsity players hadn’t played in a tournament before this year. DiStefano himself has never played a rated match, and learned the game through books and YouTube videos.