Checkmate! This month, students at Hell's Kitchen Success Academy made a bold move and Westside proudly won the National Chess Championship.
Six Success Academy Midtown West Middle School chess program participants competed in the KCF All Girls National Chess Championship held April 12-14 in Chicago, Illinois, where students Dolti Rao and Kaila – McCloy advances to the final round of the under-14s. In this division, 7th grader Anju Fujita scored a decisive victory and the team tied for first place with Hunter College Campus School and won the trophy.
For Ange, this grueling three-hour match was very appealing, she told W42ST. “I was desperate to find something to win,” she added. Although her opponent had the upper hand throughout the match, “the pressure and my drive pushed me to keep going and make every move. Every second was exciting,” she said. “The moment I realized I had regained the advantage and moved the queen with the final move, I felt joy, not only for me, but for the team as well.”
For Ange, who has been learning chess since second grade at Success Academy's Washington Heights Elementary campus, it was a long-standing victory. “I loved the idea of being able to compete in the Mind Her Game with kids like me,” she said of her decision to start the game. “I really enjoy the competitive nature. It was a great experience, especially being introduced to more senior players and having the opportunity to play against them,” Ange added.
Success Academy, which opened in 2019 at 439 W49th Street (bw 9/10th Ave), has cultivated a cult following of chess fans, said Taylor Fleming, director of communications, and has grown to 8,000 across its network of New York schools. He added that several students were playing. “Chess has always been a pillar of Success Academy because it teaches academics the discipline and strategy,” Taylor said.
With 800 Success Academy scholars ranked by the United States Chess Federation and more than a dozen Hell's Kitchen SA players on the national top 100 list, Taylor said, “Our chess “It's a joy to see the team thrive. The energy our scholars bring brings energy to our chess team.” Extracurricular activities are contagious. The other academics are definitely energized by the trophy our team brought home and the team's success. ”
Michael Rohde, chess grandmaster and head chess teacher at a local school, said: As teachers and coaches, we are advocates for our children. This is the central pillar of our school. ”
Taylor added that the “rigor and challenge” of Success Academy's chess program helps students “in and out of the classroom.” Ange agreed that this greatly enriched her education. “Chess not only helped me academically, but it also gave me the ability to progress more in other extracurricular activities,” she said. “Chess is a tactical game that requires you to calculate your opponent's actions and moves. Through chess, you will learn the skills to think ahead and strategize, which you will apply in your school work and all subjects. I was able to.”
It also helped her connect with other players across schools and regions, she said, adding that she plans to continue playing for a “very long time.” Success Her Academy's Chess program is “a very accepting community,” Ange says. “I have made many friends along the way. Chess has taught me the lesson of patience and how friendship can help you overcome any hardship.”
