Cameron talked all week of his upcoming chess tournament - the Knight's Duel. Being held on Purdue University's campus only added to the excitement. He told his teacher several times that he wasn't sure he wanted to go since it was at his least favorite school!!! As the week wore on he was confident that he had a good chance of winning since he was going to be one of the oldest in his bracket of K-3rd graders.
We were there early and met up with Cameron's friend, Evan. His mother, Mary, and sister, Deea, came, so Meg, Doug and I had a great group to chat with while we waited in between matches. The boys brought their chess boards and used their free time to practice. Cameron won his first match easily. He was feeling pretty positive about his chances as we headed to the Union for lunch. Meg spent her time talking with me about the differences between IU and Purdue. She shares the Heinisch opinion that West Lafayette does not hold a candle to Bloomington. Doug wore his IU soccer shirt and received some good-natured ribbing while we were ordering our food.
After lunch Meg and I headed to the mall. We knew that our stamina for being chess spectators would fade quickly if we didn't take a break. We found Dick's Sporting Goods and she left with a pair of green and gold sliders and socks plus the knowledge that we had ordered her indoor cleats. I found something I just had to have from Yankee Candle - Bone White and the seven spooks. Cam called just as we turned back on to campus. He had won his second match in less than 3 minutes and just completed his third with the W as well.
We walked around campus and headed back for the fourth and final round. Cam was ranked second and was playing for first. Evan was ranked sixth and playing for one of the coveted top five spots. Cam headed to the players room knowing that we were proud of him no matter the outcome. As he met his opponent, the competitors' siblings said, "This guy is going to destroy you." Cameron did win relatively easily. He was all smiles as he came back into the parents' room. Evan's match ended in a stalemate, which unfortunately knocked him out of contention for a trophy.
Cameron, Evan, Meg and Deea talked Mary into touring the building. All came back with fun stories of their adventures and the boys ability of using the force to open elevator doors. Shortly after 4 p.m. the awards were announced. Cameron was the overall champion for his age bracket. He was proud of his accomplishment and respectful of the fact that Evan was not feeling as excited about his end result. The boys did very well, however, and even finished in third place for the team competition. That was a great feat as they only had a team of two!
We stopped for dinner at Bruno's Pizza, a local favorite. Brett called to congratulate Cameron. Cal had stayed back to attend the fish fry at Grandma and Grandpa's church. Watched Something Wicked This Way Comes - a Halloween favorite - on the way home. What a wonderful family day!
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