Grade Schoolers Take On Chicago Cops In Chess Tournament
(CBS) -- It has been a humbling day for some Chicago Police Officers trying their hand at chess against a group of grade-school kids.
14th District Police Commander Marc Buslik was shaking his head as he stood in the hallway at Moss Elementary School in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, having just been beaten by a 6th grader.
"Oh, it's terrible," he said with a smile. "It's humiliating."
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The girl beat him, he said, in eight moves. But, he said, it was fun and a good experience for the cops and the kids and it allowed the kids to see the officers in a different light.
Melinda, a 6th grader, was the one who beat him.
"Anybody can win in a luck game," she said, "but you have to actually focus in a chess game and use your brain and I really like that."
The tournament was put together by the Renaissance Knights After School Chess Program, which is in five Chicago Public Schools.
David Heiser, the president and a suburban police officer, himself, said he believes in the power of chess.
"It really teaches kids a lot of skills that can be applied in academics but also throughout their lives," he said.
14th District police officer Jim Regnier managed to put the police on the board with a win against a 3rd grader.
He joked that it was a little nerve-wracking playing a 3rd grader. He said his heart was pounding like he was about to serve a search warrant as he savored the victory with some other officers who weren't so fortunate.
He joked that he tried a little intimidation, asking the boy about his parents' license plates but said he seemed unfazed.
