UT Dallas Holds a Pep Rally Ahead of National Chess Competition.
A local team is heading to the Final Four, but basketball fans won't find it on their brackets. This team competes on a chessboard! University of Texas at Dallas hosted a pep rally on Friday, featuring cheerleaders, band members, and fans, as players prepare to compete in the National Collegiate Chess Tournament. It will take place next week in New York. This is UT Dallas' 16th appearance in the Final Four tournament. The team will face groups from Webster University, Harvard University, and UT Rio Grande Valley. Players prepare for weeks, and say each match could last up to 5 hours.
"This is very important because you can prepare with a computer, and your opponent will prepare against you with a computer," said Anton Kovalyov, a UTD chess player. "Sometimes you can lose without actually playing, because your opponent prepared a winning position by practicing on the computer, so you need to be ready for that," said Kovalyov.
UT Dallas holds a large send-off for the chess team each year they compete. School leaders say they're very proud of their success, and even offer players scholarships.
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