Thursday on Lubbock's First News, Al Lawrence, program director of the Texas Tech Chess Program, detailed the upcoming 60th annual Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship.

The PanAm championship will take place December 27-30 at the Overton Hotel on 2322 Mac Davis Lane. The championship has been held since 1946; it became an annual event in 1962. The top four winners of the championship go on to compete in the Final Four, the winner of which receives the President's Cup.

Lawrence said that chess players prepare for competitions a little differently. He said, "We don't play films because there is a faster way. When chess players play in tournaments they write down their moves." The moves are recorded in a database to be looked at in preparation.

In addition to the TTU Chess Club, there is a TTU student organization that operates separately from the club. The Knight Raiders Chess Club celebrated their 10th anniversary this year. The chess club and Knight Raiders teach chess to children in schools. Playing chess has been shown to increase brain activity and help kids be successful in school. The Knight Raiders Facebook page also has more information.

For more information on the event, along with entry details, visit the TTU Chess webpage. For more information on the chess club, visit the TTU Chess Club Facebook.

Listen to the full interview:

Or listen on your mobile device: KFYO LFN Al Lawrence December 19 2013 // KFYO.com

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