Students from Success Academy charter schools in the Bronx and Harlem captured three of the top 10 spots when 2,100 elementary school students from across the country faced off in the National Elementary Chess Championships in Nashville last weekend.
In the kindergarten through sixth grade U1000 division, Success Academy Bronx 1 placed sixth, Success Academy Harlem East placed eighth and Success Academy Harlem North West took home 10th place. The division included 40 teams.
Each student played seven games over the three-day tournament, where rounds stretched long into the night – many lasting over four hours. On their way to the top, the students plotted each move carefully – recording their decisions in a logbook, before decisively smacking the time clock to start their opponent’s turn. Success Academy Bronx 1 fifth grader Donovan Lamonte-Stewart led the Success Academy teams competing in the division, winning five of his seven games.
Finishing just one win out of the top ten in the K-6 division was Success Academy Harlem Central in 14th place. Success Academy sent 105 scholars from nine schools to the tournament.
About Success Academy
Founded in 2006, Success Academy is a free public charter school network with the dual mission of building world-class public schools across New York City and advancing education reform across the country. Success Academy operates 32 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Admission is open to all New York City families. Students are admitted by random lottery, held each April. Across the Success Academy network of K-12 schools, 76% of students are from low-income households; 8.5% are English Language Learners, and 12% are special needs students. About 94% of students are children of color. For more information about Success Academy, go to Successacademies.org.
To hear a current Success Academy parent discuss her experience with our chess program, click here. To learn more about opportunities to become involved in our chess program, click here.
For more information about Success Academy, go to Successacademies.org
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