The Alcuin School Chess Team recently celebrated their winning season by finishing as the 1st place team in three separate local tournaments. The team also won a second place title this fall.
Several schools competed in the tournaments and Alcuin went up against multiple teams in its division with over 100 students.
Highlights included a first-place win in the 6th Annual Scott Watson Memorial Chess Classic K-6th Grade Elementary Division. The Alcuin team also honed their skills and successfully collaborated to top the leader board at the 2015 Universal Academy K-12 Fall Fun Classic.
Alcuin 3rd grader, Rocco Renda, has been playing since he was 5-years-old and he is now among the topped ranked players in his age group at many local competitions. “I like chess because it teaches you strategy and how to think through problems,” Renda says.
Quaitemes Williams, Alcuin’s Chess Coach, agrees that chess helps children learn many valuable life skills. Williams, a seasoned chess expert with an international chess ranking of 2105, says that the game teaches discipline, calculation, patience, time management, and how to think for yourself.
“Chess also helps students understand to never underestimate an opponent, while showing them how to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat,” Williams says. “Best of all, chess is very fun and something that you can enjoy your entire life from age 5 to 105. Although I have been exposed to many facets of chess, my highest professional aspiration is that someday my students’ skills will surpass my own.”
Alcuin’s Chess Team also featured remarkable individual performances this fall including:
Rocco Renda, 3rd grade USCF rating: 717
1st place at American Heritage K-12 Championship Nov. 14
2nd place at Universal Academy Fall Classic Oct. 25
3rd place at Carrolton K-4 Championship Oct. 18
Nick Peddle, 6th grade USCF rating 551
1st place American heritage K-12 U500 section Nov. 14
Austin Lee, 4th grade, USCF rating 692
3rd place at American Heritage K-12 Championship Nov 14
3rd place at Scott Watson Memorial Oct. 10
Ishan Das 3rd grade USCF rating 450
2nd place 2015 DFM Thanksgiving Classic K-3 section.
Enzo Renda, Kindergarten, USCF rating: 357
3rd Place K-1 at Universal Academy Fall Classic
The current roster of the Alcuin Chess Team includes: Parker Bullock; Will Chadwick; Ishan Das; Chazz Frederiksen; Savannah Frederiksen; Austin Lee; Nick Peddle; Enzo Renda; Rocco Renda; Erik Spafford; Spencer Smith; and Stella Smith.
About Alcuin School
A vibrant, nurturing, coeducational academic community serving students from toddler to 12th grade, Alcuin School uses the Montessori and International Baccalaureate program methods to foster critical thinking and a lifelong passion for learning. With faculty support, students at Alcuin School are eager to embrace change, question the status quo, and prepare for their future as leaders in a global society. For more information, please visit www.alcuinschool.org.