A sophomore at Spanish Fort High School tied for first place at the Alabama State Chess Championship, which took place from Sept. 1-3 in Madison.
Kevin Judice, who competed in the reserve section at the competition, tied for first place with five points against fellow player Ashish Vyas.

The competition divided players based on rating into three sections; premier, reserve and amateur.

According to the official Alabama state chess standings, the reserve section of the competition is comprised of players with an under 1600 rating, awarding first place winners with $500 and a honorary plaque.

Judice competed in a total of six rounds of chess, ending with a total rating of 1025.

Judice tied for first place with fellow Alabama player Vyas, who finished with a total rating of 1425.

While the competition took place in Alabama, players from all over the country were in attendance; including players from Tennessee, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Ohio.