Grand Terrace Siblings go for the Checkmate

From the small but warm community of Grand Terrace live two siblings, Arnauld and Ariana Martinez, who are rising to the top due to their expertise in chess. Arnauld, a fifth grader, is one year older than Ariana, a fourth grader. They both went undefeated and took the championship title home with them at the recent Serrano Halloween Scholastic Chess Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 25 held in Moreno Valley. Ariana and Arnauld, although Grand Terrace residents, attend Redlands Adventist Academy. They started playing chess because of their father. He started teaching them about a year-and-a-half ago. Not only have they showcased their talent in this recent tournament, they also have been placed second and third in a chess tournament in Glendale in which participants ranged from kindergartners to eighth graders. They plan to take their talent to Orange County later in the year to participate in the 2014 American Open Chess Tournament.