Seth Johnson
Elementary schoolers packed into the Cofrin Theater on Wednesday morning to celebrate their championship classmates.
Kevin Pryor, vice president of the U.S. Chess Federation, spoke before the awards were handed out. He said schools from New York often dominate chess competitions.
“There’s only one school that those New York City kids think about—the Oak Hall school,” Pryor said as the room erupted in cheers.
Oak Hall’s kindergarten, first and third graders won their class championships at the United States Chess Federation’s K12 Grade National Chess Championships. Other classes also earned top 10 finishes with numerous individual awards.
The third-grade team also went undefeated to earn gold—the first undefeated record in event history.
“I’m a big fan of the Oak Hall school and your chess program. You guys are famous throughout the country,” Pryor said.
He praised Tim Tusing, the Eagles’ chess coach, for his role, noting that he’s recognized as one of the top coaches in the nation.
Tusing recognized the winning teams and gave special recognition to three players—Celine C., Akash J. and Sophie L.
“These three players go well beyond scholastic chess,” Tusing said. “These are world class players.”
Celine won a bronze medal at the 2023 Pan-American Youth Chess Championships in the U8 girls section.
Akash placed eighth in the North American Youth Championships in Calgary in 2022 and is also the Florida co-champion for his grade.
Sophie won gold at the 2023 All Girls National Championship in the U10 category. Both Sophie and Celine earned their Woman Candidate Master titles—their first steps toward a grandmaster title.
