The University of Illinois Chess Team’s Cinderella Story

In late December, the University of Illinois chess team qualified for the Final Four for the second consecutive year. U of I junior Michael Auger is a big part of the reason why and is one of 4 team members who will be going to the tournament in April. Auger recruited Eric Rosen, the most accomplished and highest-ranked member of the team, away from top chess schools, like te University of Texas-Dallas, Texas Tech and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

This hour on Focus, host Jeff Bossert talks with Auger about the team’s success and where he thinks they're headed next. We’ll also hear from Al Lawrence who is the director of Texas Tech’s chess program and former executive director of the United States Chess Federation, the largest chess governing body in the United States. He'll tell us more about the world of collegiate chess is like across the country, and gives us a better sense of what the U of I chess team is up against in April.

During this hour, we want to know from you how chess plays a role in your life. Did you grow up playing it? What do you like about it? We're on Twitter during the show @Focus580.