128 teams to compete at IHSA State Team Chess Tournament Feb. 11-12

Chess teams from over 125 high schools across Illinois have qualified for the IHSA state final tournament in Peoria. The competition will be Friday and Saturday, Feb. 11-12, at the Peoria Civic Center.

The tournament involves 128 teams, with eight players per team, playing seven matches (up to two hours each) over two long days in Peoria.

In last year's tournament, held virtually, Whitney Young Magnet School once again took the championship, winning in a tiebreaker. In the past decade, the team from Chicago magnet school and led by coach Paul Kash has taken the top spot six times (in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2021).

Barrington High School, led by coach Jeff Doles, took second place in the 2020-21 tournament, and Lincolnshire's Stevenson High School, with coach Vincent Springer, in third.

For this year's tournament, several local teams are highly seeded: Stevenson No. 1, Fremd No. 2, Naperville Central No. 4.

Some of teams competing from the suburbs include:

• Cook County: Barrington High School; Bartlett High School; Conant High School in Hoffman Estates; Elk Grove Village High School; Evanston Twp. High School; Fremd High School in Palatine; Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook; Glenbrook South High School in Glenview; Hersey High School in Arlington Heights; Highland Park High School; Hoffman Estates High School; Maine South High School in Park Ridge; New Trier High School in Winnetka; Palatine High School; Prospect High School in Mount Prospect; Rolling Meadows High School; and Schaumburg High School.

• DuPage County: Benet Academy in Lisle; Bolingbrook High School; Downers Grove North High School; Downers Grove South High School; Fenton High School in Bensenville; Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn; Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn; Hinsdale Central High School; Hinsdale South High School in Darien; Lake Park High School in Roselle; Metea Valley High School in Aurora; Naperville Central High School; Naperville North High School; Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville; Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora; West Chicago High School; Wheaton North High School; Wheaton Warrenville South High School; and York High School in Elmhurst;

• Kane County: Aurora Central Catholic; East Aurora; Batavia High School; Elgin High School; Huntley High School; Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora; Kaneland High School in Maple Park; St. Charles North High School; and South Elgin High School.

• Lake County: Buffalo Grove High School; Grant High School in Fox Lake; Grayslake North High School; Round Lake High School; Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire; Waukegan High School;

• McHenry County: Cary-Grove High School; Harvard High School; Marian Central High School in Woodstock; and McHenry High School.

The IHSA Seeding Committee posted a list of the seeds at www.ihsa.org/Sports-Activities/Chess/. The teams will be paired shortly before the first round on Friday, Feb. 11.

Follow twitter.com/IHSAChess.