Eli Green of Spirit Lake, left, competes at the K-12 U.S. Chess Federation's National K-12 Grade Championships held Dec. 11-14 in Spokane. His twin brother Jax can be seen diagonally across the table, contemplating his next move.
December 23, 2025
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Spirit Lake twins compete in national chess competition
Spirit Lake twins compete in national chess competition
When asked about his favorite piece on a chess board, 12-year-old Jax Green is all in on the knight. "A knight is one of the best pieces because it’s the only chess piece that has its own personal set of things," Jax of Spirit Lake said Monday. Other pieces can't copy the versatile knight's ability to move in an "L" pattern, two squares in a vertical or horizontal direction and one more in a perpendicular direction. Jax said it's a handy piece for forcing opponents to move their kings and rooks. "The knight is a sneakier way of doing things," he said.