Oak Hall’s U-8 chess team claims 2nd at All-Girls National Championship

Oak Hall's Under-8 chess team earned second place at the All-Girls National Chess Championship.

Courtesy of Oak Hall School

Key Points

Oak Hall School’s Under-8 girls’ chess team recently earned second place at the All-Girls National Chess Championship that was held April 10-12 in Chicago.

The Eagles nearly completed an upset at the competition, coming within one point of taking the national title against powerhouse New York Success Academy.

According to an Oak Hall press release, the school fielded one of the youngest teams in the competition, with the squad consisting of kindergartners and first-graders.

The team was led by Stella Wang, who placed ninth overall with a record of five wins and one loss. Miyuki Phillips and Melody Zeng also helped contribute to the team score, with four points apiece.

Teammates Cate Black and Aria Kurian rounded out the lineup, helping ensure a podium finish for Oak Hall.

“I am very proud of the effort the girls put into preparing for this event. The hard work definitely paid off,” Oak Hall coach Tim Tusing said in the release. “We will return next year with the same group, and hopefully a few new faces, and win this event!”