Bach Ngo, a senior at The Frazer School, recently won the 41st annual GM Arnold Denker National Tournament of High School State Champions held in Middleton, Wisconsin, on July 28-31.
Normally referred to as the “Champion of Champions,” this event is the “most prestigious scholastic chess championship of the year” in the U.S., according to a Frazer School press release, with every state sending its high school state champion to compete.
A total of 49 states, including Washington, D.C., were represented at this year’s competition.
There was no shortage of talent at this year’s tournament, with seven players rated over 2400 and another eight rated over 2200, according to the release. There were five International Masters (rating of 2400 or higher), including Ngo, who took part in the competition.
Ngo tied for first place with IM Liam Putnam of New York but finished ahead in tiebreaks – used to determine the final standings when players have an even score – to earn a $5,000 college scholarship and $650 cash.
“It was just such a great honor to be able to be Florida’s single representative [in the tournament] and then play against all the champions of every other state,” Ngo said in an interview with Mainstreet.
In March, Ngo won the K-12 Individual Champion title while competing at the 2025 Florida State Scholastic Chess Championships.
“He has a special passion for chess, and we are lucky to have his knowledge and experience in our community,” said Britt Ryerson, the Frazer School chess coach, in the release.
Ngo said a particularly big moment for him in the national tournament came during round five of the six-round competition.
“I was tied for first in the shared lead…and I got to play white against Pennsylvania’s International Master Evan Park,” Ngo said. “It was such a big game because this is the penultimate round. The result of this game would define how the last round would go, and if I’d still have a chance [at winning].”
Ngo went on to win round five, giving him a half-point lead over second place entering the final day of the competition.
In the final round, Ngo noted that he played as black, adding he needed just a draw against his opponent to secure first place.
“It was quite a complicated game, but eventually the position kind of fizzled out, and his attack wasn’t able to break through,” Ngo said. “It was a relief after the final round that I was able to hold the position of black pieces.”
With his win in the Denker Tournament, Ngo has qualified to represent the U.S. in the World Youth and U.S. Junior Championships.
“That is an incredibly prestigious event for juniors in the U.S.,” Ngo said of the Junior Championship. “It’s a 10-person tournament only…just the 10 best juniors in the country. It will be an honor to play there.”
Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News.