Isle student is third in U.S. chess tourney

An eighth-grader at Our Savior Lutheran School finished third in a national chess tournament yesterday in Minneapolis.

Eldon Nakagawa of Aiea won six of seven rounds during the three-day 2010 National Junior High Championship held by the United States Chess Federation.

He finished with six points, one point behind the leader, from Washington state.

In addition to his third-place finish, Nakagawa won the Blitz K-9 championship on Thursday, a preliminary tournament with a five-minute time limit.

Nakagawa, who is co-champion of the Hawaii Chess Federation's intermediate school division, competed with eight other Hawaii students from Kamehameha Schools and Mililani.

In the K-9 championship, Kamehameha Schools ninth-graders Likeke Aipa finished 18th and Tristan Kaonohi came in 21st.

Nakagawa, who has been playing since the fifth grade, plays with the Pearlridge Chess Club. He started the chess club at his school last year and teaches the other students.