Dos Pueblos High School’s Chess Club hosted and won this year’s first chess tournament on Tuesday. Members of the DPHS Chess Club played against San Marcos High School’s Chess Club and ended with a final score of 10.5 to 1.5. 

The tournament consisted of different matches that allowed the players to challenge each other. Each team gained a point every time a team member won a match and half a point for every tie. The tournament took place in the DPHS library, starting at 4 pm and going until 5:30 pm. According to Srinivasan, inspiration for the tournament came from similar tournaments they used to have at Goleta Valley Junior High School and La Colina Junior High School. 

“This is just a first time thing we’re doing; we don’t really know how many people from their side are coming, so we’re just trying to get a sense of how it’s going to be,” said co-President Santosh Srinivasan (10).

The other co-president, Arjun Ograin (10), said that moving forward, the club hopes to host more tournaments against SMHS, Santa Barbara High School, and junior high schools in the district. He said they are “excited” to take part in other competitions and tournaments around the district.

Ograin said that the DPHS Chess Club is “usually a fun atmosphere.” Though the club mainly focuses on playing chess, he said that the club would also be open to teach chess. 

“Chess Club is just a fun place where we can hang out and play,” Srinivasan said. “It’s not overly competitive or anything. It’s just about talking and playing with friends. Anybody can join.”