A delayed bus ride was just about the only thing that went wrong for the
Neenah Chess team when they traveled to Nekoosa to conclude their
2012-13 regular season. After their bus failed 5 minutes into the
homeward journey, the team had to wait nearly two hours for a
replacement bus before resuming their trip. Even that unexpected delay
could not lower their spirits after a day that saw the varsity Red team
leap into first place, and then hold that lead in the manner of true
champions.
After an uncharacteristic stumble in their last tournament left the
Red team in second place, they needed a victory over first place Marion
to have a chance at winning their fourth straight Northeastern Wisconsin
Chess Association title. The Red team responded by defeating Marion 4
boards to 1 in the opening round, a reversal of their result from
earlier in the season. The win gave Neenah such a small lead in
tiebreaker points that each player carried the weight of the season on
his shoulders for the final two rounds. The team responded by winning 9.5 of the 10 remaining games,assuring that they would (eventually)
return home as champions.
