Photos courtesy of McDaniel’s Photography

Quincy Huchison, 12, sprints through the tunnel of fans and into the arena.

The fans file into the room, eager for some intense battles of intellect, strategy, and perspicacity.

The clocks start; each of the six players execute their opening strategies.

Onlookers stand, silent but supportive, along the side of the room.

Onlookers are forced to remain silent; this doesn’t hold them back from being as distracting as possible. Bryan Waterhouse, 12, gets ready to hit his clock.

Divyesh Balimurali, 10, the first board, calmly studies his pieces, formulating some method of attack.

Nimit Desai, 12, waits for his opponent’s move while devising his own strategy.

Benjamin Wells, 12, calmly records his opponent’s moves.

Balimurali concentrates on his board, calculating various possibilities in his mind.

Pedro Del Moral, 12, in the opening stages of his match, records his opponent’s first move.

Desai begins his second match, pushing pawns across the board.

Huchison studies his board carefully, deep in thought.

Wells and his bishops close in for the kill as onlookers cry out (silently) in triumph.