Chess Update from Vlad
Hi,
We’ve just returned from the 51st. New York State Chess Championship held at Saratoga Springs http://chessevents.com/nyscholastics/. Our team is expanding in both size and skill. BSI school has been represented by 17 students in 7 sections.
The results were impressive. First of all, our middle schoolers ( Ronen, Levi, Liz, Ben, and Megan ) played in the Middle School Intermediate section under huge pressure ( they were competing with IS 318 who had 16 members ) got 2nd place and Ronen took 1st place individually. And our second team of 3rd graders, future masters 😉 ( Nicholas, Jake, Andrew, George, and Katya ) were playing in the strongest section for their age category – Primary Championship and took 7th place in the State. Amazing results. Ari got 4th place individually in the Middle school reserve section. Congratulations and big thank you to all team members who gave their best – Lucy, David, Alexey, Chloe, James and Rafa. Shout out to all the parents who came and supported us with their love.
The results were impressive. First of all, our middle schoolers ( Ronen, Levi, Liz, Ben, and Megan ) played in the Middle School Intermediate section under huge pressure ( they were competing with IS 318 who had 16 members ) got 2nd place and Ronen took 1st place individually. And our second team of 3rd graders, future masters 😉 ( Nicholas, Jake, Andrew, George, and Katya ) were playing in the strongest section for their age category – Primary Championship and took 7th place in the State. Amazing results. Ari got 4th place individually in the Middle school reserve section. Congratulations and big thank you to all team members who gave their best – Lucy, David, Alexey, Chloe, James and Rafa. Shout out to all the parents who came and supported us with their love.
These stunning results prove how much we can accomplish in just a few years. However, these results would be impossible if it wasn’t for the enthusiasm and energy of the parents. Just take a look at our School Chess Festival from last month. I have never seen a better organizer than Valerie. Coordinating every branch, organizing chess activities, tournament and even managing to invite a famous Grand Master, she was a huge contributor to the project.
But she wasn’t the only one, other parents contributed too, to the making of the festival. Marina, Anna R, Lidia, Leyla, who were doing fun chess activities with the kids. Or Anna P, Anna Z, and Alex Y who were managing the food stand, a popular attraction. Marissa and Igor G who were running chess movies in the auditorium. Iuri, Sergey, and Michael who help to run a tournament. All support from PTO. Due to these contributions, the event was a huge success.
Creating a chess team is not an easy task, but the outcome is incredible. The benefits our children are getting cannot be measured by words. My favorite part is that they learn to be open-minded. Without this, you can not become a good player…or person.
Best,
Vlad