In the 1995 tournament, Stetson again finished in the middle of the 40-plus competing schools, beating out, among others, MIT and the University of Florida. Still, that was enough to tie Davidson for the small-college championship. It was also hard work. Chess is played while seated, but competitors still sweat. A member of the Stetson tennis team who works out regularly, he has some sense of the stamina needed to compete successfully.
Competitors often play two games a day in six rounds spread across four days.
Ananiadis has to be in great shape mentally, too. As the top player on the Stetson team, he competed against some of the best players in the tournament, including people like American champion Patrick Wolff from Harvard. That left his teammates McGivern, Fraro, Foote, Pointe and sophomore alternate Adam Kuyrkendall of Live Oak to earn the necessary points. Ironically, the second consecutive title had reduced participation in the club, which meets every Monday night during the school year. He's not really worried that the club will disappear.