But, for a recent national competition, the Hillel students turned on their concentration skills for silent, timed matches where every win, loss or draw could make the difference in rankings and prizes.

The result was success for the sixth-grade team last month at the National Scholastic Chess Championships, held at Disney's Dolphin hotel. The top five teams in each grade level were guaranteed trophies, and Hillel edged out Berkeley Preparatory School by half a point for the fifth- place spot.

Berkeley, in Town 'N Country, didn't leave Disney World empty-handed. Its kindergarten team placed fourth. Tampa Palms Elementary also was a top finisher, with its fourth- graders securing third place.

Nearly 1,650 students from across the country attended the tournament, competing in seven rounds during a weekend. Players accumulate points - one for winning, half for a draw - throughout the competition, and the top three scores of various players are counted for team rankings.

Hillel brought seven students in grades four through six. Its competitors come from an after-school chess club the school offers. Mark Ritter, a U.S. Chess Federation senior master, coaches the club, meeting with them weekly in a classroom.

``It's loud here, and everyone punches each other,'' said 10-year-old Simon Moskovitz, laughing. ``After this, we all play basketball.''

Competition, however, was a different experience.

``I was pretty nervous,'' said Simon, a fifth-grader. ``It's nothing like playing here.''

A match students might breeze through in 10 to 15 minutes at Hillel could take as much as three hours. Each player in the competition gets 90 minutes per game, dividing the time among moves however he or she wants.

``You're fighting not only your opponent but the nature of time,'' Ritter said.

Children become more serious because more is at stake, Ritter said. They also are testing their knowledge and skills against players they don't normally play.

Ari Feinstein, who was on the Hillel sixth-grade team, said he didn't think the first round went well.

``We always have to get up early, and I always lost the first round,'' said Ari, 12.

However, the team performed well, with 11-year-old Brett Doliner earning a second-place trophy in his division. Divisions are based on how players do compared with others of similar skill levels nationally.

Though he was proud of how his students did, Ritter said the benefits of chess extend beyond prizes. At competitions, students meet hundreds of children their age with the same interests no matter what ethnicity or gender. And no matter where they play, they learn focus and discipline, thinking through the cause and effect of their moves before acting.

``It's not Candyland,'' Ritter said.