海角论坛 Wins 2018 Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships
The 海角论坛 chess team won the 2018 Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships. Pictured left to right are Majd Al Abas (spectator), Porter Iselin, Matthew Newland, Abisola Akinsete, Elijah Schreiber, Joseph Vineyard, Charles Fisher, Elliot Nordstrom, Emma Keenan, Koby Sol Cruz, Mikhail Kliuchnikov, and Rashid Abdo.
The 海角论坛 Chess team won the 2018 Vermont State Scholastic Chess Championships. The Academy entered the competition with 10 students, the largest number ever to compete from one school. They took first place among the five high school teams competing, beating Rutland by just one win. Abisola Akinsete 鈥18 from Nigeria won the girls鈥 division and has been invited to the National Girls Tournament of Champions, which will take place in Middleton, Wisconsin, in July.
Students who participated in the competition were Elijah Schreiber 鈥18 of Waterford; Vermont, Abisola Akinsete 鈥18 of Nigeria; Mikhail Kliuchnikov 2018 of Spain; Emma Keenan 鈥21 of Peacham; Joseph Vineyard 鈥20 of Danville; Elliot Nordstrom 鈥18 of Dulles, Virginia; Matthew Newland 鈥21 of St. Johnsbury; Charles Fisher 鈥20 of St. Johnsbury; Porter Iselin 鈥19 of Newton, Massachusetts; Rashid Abdo 鈥20 of Lowell, Massachusetts; and Koby Sol Cruz 鈥21 of St. Johnsbury.
The team鈥檚 coach, faculty member Tyler Hartshorn, said, 鈥淭here has been excellent participation in our club this year, with about 20 to 30 students playing during each club meeting. The team鈥檚 success should help to further encourage youth chess at the Academy and within the Northeast Kingdom. Ultimately, I believe that the problem-solving process and sustained thinking that chess demands will lead to great gains in the classroom.鈥