The Missouri State University Chess Club, with faculty advisor Nick Beatty, recently hosted a tournament in Strong Hall. The event consisted of four rounds and lasted about twelve hours. Participants came from across the country, as well as across the state of Missouri, and included PLS majors. In addition to the participants, there were several observers from the community.
All players were impressed with and grateful for the hospitality provided by Political Science department and the University. A chess organizer from Kansas City expressed an interest in hosting larger a tournaments at MSU in the future. According to Nick, there were no injuries.
*According to a 1763 poem by Sir William Jones, Caissa is the Goddess of Chess.
Meantime the god, elate with heart-felt joy,
Had reach’d the temple of the sportful boy;
He told Caissa’s charms, his kindled fire,
The naiad’s counsel, and his warm desire.
“Be swift, he added, give my passion aid;
A god requests.” – He spake, and Sport obey’d.
He fram’d a tablet of celestial mold,
Inlay’d with squares of silver and of gold;
Then of two metals form’d the warlike band,
That here compact in show of battle stand;
He taught the rules that guide the pensive game,
And call’d it Cassa from the dryad’s name