Chess Club recently competed in the 3-day US Chess national championships in Orlando, after winning their county, regional and Florida state competitions. 

“There were 562 schools around the United States,” Spanish teacher and Chess Club sponsor Cesar Cuenca said. “We were in the category of grade 9 through 12 and won ninth place out of 128 students” 

Players also won individual awards, with seniors Alex Czemerinski and Jordan Cohen placing 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. 

Most club members, being seniors, had been on the team since they were freshmen, practicing and improving every year, and for the first time were invited to play at a national level. 

At every practice, the players compete in online competitions, testing their abilities as if they are in a real contest. Three times a week the chess members get together to play in mock games to build on their skills.

 As of the new year, the club members will be attending regionals in February, county in March and Florida state competitions in April. 

“It was definitely a growing experience for all the chess members,” senior Alex Czemerinski said. “Even though we didn’t win a trophy, it was still a good performance and we’re happy with it.