Seconds pass as small clocks tick in a silent room while tension mounts. High school students from towns across Mo. gather in the silent playing hall, facing off in a tactical game: chess. Junior Santosh...
![After winning their respective boards and collecting their awards, the chess team stands together, holding their trophies. Sophomore Prateek Nemmali (right) captained the team and led them to an overall second-place finish. “In terms of community, I feel [chess] is a nice team spirit-building thing, especially when playing in team tournaments. It’s competitive, but you feel together when you play the game,” Nemmali said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/image1-900x600.jpg)